March 19 COVID-19 Update

The newsletter you received earlier this week contained some of the most relevant guidance and directives following Governor Baker's declaration of a state of emergency on March 10th. Today's update contains new and updated resources and information. Please read carefully in order to keep up to date with the most recent information and visit Mass.gov for complete information regarding COVID-19 in Massachusetts, the state of emergency, guidance and directives, fact sheets, and more.

If you have any questions or comments, please email them to my legislative aide, Andrew Tarr, at andrew.tarr@mahouse.gov so that we may respond in a timely manner. My staff and I are in constant communication with local, state, and federal officials to bring your concerns about the COVID-19 situation to the proper authorities and to get the most up-to-date information possible back to our residents and communities. 

• Gatherings of more than 25 people are prohibited across the Commonwealth. Due to a local state of emergency in Gloucester, gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited.
• Restaurants may remain open for take out and delivery only. On-site consumption of food and drink is prohibited.
• Public and private schools througout the Commonwealth are closed until April 6th.
• Lunch will continue to be provided to Cape Ann area students as a "grab and go" option each weekday at Beeman and Veterans Memorial Schools from 11am to 12pm as well as a location on Veterans Way from 10:45am to 11:15am and Willowood Road from 11:30am to 12pm.
• State courts are closed except for emergency matters until April 6th.
• The MBTA is operating on a reduced service schedule in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 while providing a public transit option for people with essential travel needs, such as medical professionals and emergency responders.
• The Registry of Motor Vehicles will extend the renewal timeline of certain credentials to reduce the need for customers to physically visit an RMV.
• Nursing homes and assisted living centers are required to restrict visitation of all visitors. Hospitals are required to screen all visitors before entering.
• Licensing of certain health care professionals will be expedited to provide more access to care during this emergency.
• **NEW** Occupational or professional licenses of individuals that are in good standing and that would otherwise be up for renewal during the COVID-19 emergency may be extended for 90 days after the end of the public health emergency.
• **NEW** The Department of Environmental Protection and Attorney General Maura Healey are temporarily suspending enforcement of beverage container redemption due to the volume of traffic at retailers and to combat spread of COVID-19.
• **NEW** Only the following eight RMV centers will be open until further notice: Boston/Haymarket, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Springfield, and Worcester.
• **NEW** All early childhood education programs across Massachusetts are to suspend providing childcare by the end of Sunday, March 22 until April 6.
• **NEW** The Department of State issued a level 4 Travel Advisory today. In short terms, it means that United States Citizens should avoid international travel.

Again, these are only some of the guidance and directives relating to the current state of affairs. Please visit Mass.gov for more complete information and check the municipal websites for Gloucester, Rockport, and Essex for local guidance. State House News Service also has a public COVID-19 tracker with news and updates from various sources and outlets.

Last week, the House and Senate passed a $15 million package to help deal with the situation surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic. This week, the Massachusetts House and Senate passed emergency legislation that will allow new claims to be paid more quickly by waiving the one week waiting period for unemployment benefits for people impacted by COVID-19 restrictions or closures. Both of these pieces of legislation have now been signed into law by Governor Baker. We are continuing to work on measures to provide relief to individuals, families, and businesses and will keep you up to date as we have new information.

At the federal level, President Trump has signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by Congress earlier this week. This legislation includes a variety of provisions for paid sick leave, childcare leave, and unemployment benefits for workers and families. It also provides emergency funding for state Medicaid programs to offset increased use of services related to the treatment of COVID-19, including more than $1 billion for Massachusetts. Please see this summary for more details about this legislation.

My office also continues to monitor discussions at the federal level, including measures to combat COVID-19 and provide emergency aid to individuals, families, and small businesses. I have expressed to our federal delegation to move forward as quickly as possible to bring federal relief to our residents, families, and businesses. If you have any inquiries about federal legislation, please contact the offices of Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey, or Congressman Seth Moulton. 

Please read on below for resources for those who have been economically impacted by COVID-19. This is a list that continues to be updated. My office will continue to be in communication via email and social media as we put together and become aware of more resources.

Small Business Tax Relief

This week, Governor Baker announced administrative tax relief measures for small local businesses which have been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, especially in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. This tax relief includes postponing the collection of regular sales tax, meals tax, and room occupancy taxes that would be due in March, April and May so that they will instead be due on June 20.

Businesses that paid less than $150,000 in regular sales plus meals taxes in the 12 month period ending February 29, 2020 will be eligible for relief for sales and meals taxes, and businesses that paid less than $150,000 in room occupancy taxes in the 12 month period ending February 29, 2020 will be eligible for relief with respect to room occupancy taxes. All penalties and interest that would otherwise apply will be waived.

Additionally, businesses that paid more than $150,000 in regular sales plus meals taxes in the 12 month period ending February 29, 2020 or businesses that paid more than $150,000 in room occupancy taxes in the 12 month period ending February 29, 2020 may pay defer payment until June 20 without penalty, though interest will still accrue.

Small Business Administration Disaster Declaration

The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued a declaration of economic injury for all of the counties in Massachusetts due to the current outbreak of COVID-19, meaning that businesses and nonprofits may now apply a loan from the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

Small businesses, private non-profit organizations of any size, small agricultural cooperatives, and small aquaculture enterprises in Massachusetts that have been financially impacted as a direct result of COVID-19 since January 31 may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.

Apply for a loan from the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program on the U.S. Small Business Administration website. For more information on SBA disaster assistance, applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

ABCC Credit Terms Extension

Applying for Unemployment

Workers who have found themselves out of work due to restrictions in place because of COVID-19 should apply for unemployment insurance even if they are unsure if their situation fits normal unemployment insurance guidelines.

This week, the Massachusetts House and Senate passed emergency legislation that will allow new claims to be paid more quickly by waiving the one week waiting period for unemployment benefits for people impacted by COVID-19 restrictions or closures, which Governor Baker has now signed into law. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development is deploying additional employees to work on processing the large volume of claims.

To learn more about unemployement insurance and how to apply, visit the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance website.

Restaurant Strong Emergency Fund

The Greg Hill Foundation and Samuel Adams have joined together to create the Restaurant Strong Fund in order to provide direct assistance to help support full-time restaurant workers from Massachusetts who have been impacted by the COVID-19 closures.

To apply for help from the Restaurant Strong fund, please fill out the form on their website. Note that this is a private fund, not a government fund. Please direct all inquiries about this fund to the Greg Hill Foundation.

One Fair Wage Tipped Worker Emergency Fund

One Fair Wage has set up an emergency assistance fund for cash assistance to restaurant workers, delivery drivers and other tipped workers and service workers who are seeing their income decline during this disaster, or aren’t able to work because of quarantines or other health concerns.

To apply for help from One Fair Wage, please fill out the form on their website. Note that this is a private fund, not a government fund. Please direct all inquiries about this fund to One Fair Wage.

Employee Rights and Employer Obligations FAQ

The Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division is receiving many questions from both employers and employees about COVID-19 and its impact on the workplace and has set up a page with general guidance on some of the most frequently asked questions.

The Fair Labor Division is unable to offer legal advice to any employer or employee about their particular situation. If you have specific questions or need detailed guidance, please contact an employment attorney.