COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
- Updates, emergency orders, and guidance associated with the COVID-19 State of Emergency. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-state-of-emergency
- EXTENSION OF NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESS CLOSURE: On March 31, Governor Baker issued an order extending the closure of non-essential businesses and organizations for in-person operations until May 4.
- PROHIBITING GATHERINGS OF 10 OR MORE: On March 31, Governor Baker issued an order extending the prohibition on gatherings of 10 or more people until May 4.
- HOTEL & MOTEL GUIDANCE: On March 31, the Department of Public Health released guidance for hotels and motels related to the Governor’s order extending the prohibition on gatherings of 10 or more.
- K-12 SCHOOL CLOSURES: On March 25, Governor Baker issued an extension of the suspension of school operations for educational purposes at all public and private elementary and secondary (K-12) schools in the Commonwealth (not including residential and day schools for special needs students) until May 4.
- EARLY EDUCATION: On March 25, Governor Baker issued an extension of the closure of all non-emergency childcare programs. Emergency childcare programs, as designated by the Commonwealth remain open.
- GROCERY STORE AND PHARMACY OPERATIONS: On March 25, the Department of Public Health issued an emergency order addressing operation of grocery stores and pharmacies.
- TELEHEALTH: The Department of Public Health has issued guidance that requires all commercial insurers, self-insured plans, and the Group Insurance Commission to cover medically necessary telehealth services, whether related to COVID-19 or not. For COVID-19 treatment, insurers must do this without requiring cost-sharing of any kind, such as co-pays and coinsurance
- FOR UP TO OPEN MEETING LAW MODIFICATIONS: On March 12, Governor Baker issued an emergency order making modifications to the state’s Open Meeting Law to allow state, quasi and local governments to continue to carry out essential functions during the COVID-19 outbreak
- Nursing/Rest Home On-Site Testing Program: The Commonwealth is implementing a pilot project that allows for safe, on-site testing of symptomatic residents of nursing and rest homes with a quick turnaround. The pilot will operate under the auspices of the Massachusetts National Guard in partnership with the Department of Public Health and Broad Institute of Cambridge, and samples will be collected by trained personnel from the Massachusetts National Guard. Prior to this launch, the only way for nursing home residents to be tested would be to be transported to a hospital or physician’s office.
- DATE COVID-19 CASES IN MASSACHUSETTS: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-cases-quarantine-and-monitoring
- Sign up for Massachusetts COVID-19 text alerts. To get up-to-date alerts sent directly to your phone, text COVIDMA to 888-777.
- You can also call the informational and referral hotline, 2-1-1.
- Take care of your emotional health and help others do the same. If you need emotional support during these stressful times:
- Call 2-1-1 and choose the “CALL2TALK” option.
- Samaritans is continuing operations 24/7, as always. During this unprecedented time, it can feel overwhelming to receive constant messages about COVID-19. Call or text their 24/7 helpline any time at 877-870-4673.
- Take care of your emotional health and help others do the same. If you need emotional support during these stressful times:
The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including disease outbreaks like COVID-19. This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories.