Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced an expansion of COVID-19 vaccination sites in all parts of the Commonwealth, including new mass vaccination sites, pharmacy locations and local sites. By mid-February, the Administration expects there will be 165 vaccination sites in the Commonwealth.
Note: The following is a press release from Gov. Charlie Baker’s office:
BOSTON — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $37.4 million in awards to 638 additional small businesses in a fourth round of grants through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. Restaurants, bars and retail stores, which have been especially impacted during the pandemic, are among the key industries to lead this round.
The Administration announced an extension of the existing, across the board 25% capacity limits for most businesses and current limitations on gatherings through 5:00 AM on Monday, February 8th. The Administration also announced that effective Monday, January 25th at 5:00 AM, it would rescind an existing Early Closing order requiring many businesses to close at 9:30 PM each evening, and that at the same time it would also withdraw its related Stay At Home advisory urging residents to remain at home between the hours of 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
All other orders and safety guidance remain in place throughout the Commonwealth as the state continues to fight COVID-19 and vaccines ramp up in all regions.
COVID-19 SMALL BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM
To date, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded more than $232 million in direct financial support to 4,757 small businesses. This funding has been made available through a $668 million business relief fund set up in December, as well as $50.8 million for small and diverse businesses included in the economic recovery package announced in October.
Additional grants will be announced in the coming weeks for thousands of additional businesses.
On Monday, the Sector-Specific Small Business Relief Grant Program, a new program also administered by MGCC that targets industries experiencing the most significant economic hardship and a loss of revenue, closed for new applications. MGCC will continue to review applications to both programs in the coming weeks, and applicants will be able to review the status of their application through the Submittable portal. Award notifications for the sector-specific program will be made in February.
STAY AT HOME ADVISORY:
The DPH Stay at Home Advisory for the hours of 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM will be rescinded effective Monday, January 25th at 5:00 AM.
MANDATORY EARLY CLOSING ORDER:
The Mandatory Early Closing Order, which since early November has required certain businesses to close by 9:30 PM each night, will be rescinded effective Monday, January 25th at 5:00 AM.
Effective with the January 25 rescinding of the Order, the following businesses listed below may operate past 9:30 PM:
Effective with the rescinding of the Early Closing Order, liquor stores and other retail establishments that sell alcohol will be permitted to sell alcohol past 9:30 PM; and adult use cannabis retailers will also be permitted to sell cannabis after 9:30 PM.
Gatherings and events will also be permitted to continue past 9:30 PM. All gatherings and events will remain subject to current capacity limits of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
Phase 3, Step 2 businesses must remain fully closed.
SECTOR-SPECIFIC CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS & GATHERING LIMITS
Capacity Limits: Under the current restrictions that are being extended today, most customer-facing businesses operating in Massachusetts remain subject to a 25% capacity limit.
For a list of sectors subject to the extended capacity restrictions, click here.
Gatherings Limit: The current gathering limits in place since December 26 are also being extended to Monday, February 8th. Indoor gatherings and events will remain limited to 10 people. Outdoor gatherings and events will remain limited to 25 people outside. The gatherings limit applies to private homes, event venues and public spaces.
Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced the extension of further restrictions and new hospital guidance to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth.
Note: The following is a press release from Gov. Charlie Baker’s office.
BOSTON – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $67.4 million in awards to 1,366 additional small businesses in a second round of grants through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC). Additionally, the new Sector-Specific Small Business Relief Grant Program, also administered by MGCC, is now accepting applications from businesses from sectors most impacted by the COIVD-19. Both grant programs are part of a new $668 million relief package announced last week.
The businesses being notified today of their successful grant application include many that are owned by minorities (50%) and women (48%). Restaurants and bars, beauty and personal services, health care and retail are among the top sectors receiving relief in this second round of awards. The first round of grants announced last week totaled nearly $49 million in support of 1,158 Massachusetts small businesses.
MGCC is continuing to review existing applications and will make awards over the coming weeks to companies that meet demographic and industry preferences. Businesses that have already applied to MGCC’s Small Business Grant Program do not need to reapply to the new program.
In addition to providing grants to businesses within the existing pool of applications for the Small Business Grant Program, applications are now being accepted for a new Sector-Specific Small Business Relief Grant Program that targets industries experiencing the most significant economic hardship and a loss of revenue. Industries given preference in this new program include:
This new business relief program will offer grants up to $75,000, but not more than three months’ operating expenses, to be used for payroll and employee benefit costs, mortgage interest, rent, utilities and interest on other debt obligations.
The online application portal for the new program opened today, and will close on Friday, January 15. Awards are expected to be announced in February.
Program details, application instructions, eligibility and documentation requirements, and more are available at www.empoweringsmallbusiness.org.
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Today, the Baker-Polito Administration launched a $668 million program to provide financial assistance to Massachusetts small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program in part relies on the pending federal COVID-19 relief bill recently passed by Congress. Regardless of the developments at the federal level, the Baker-Polito Administration will start releasing millions in new funding to restaurants, retailers, and other small businesses throughout the Commonwealth as soon as next week.
Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced further restrictions to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth, including new capacity and gathering limits. These measures will go into effect on Saturday, December 26 and will remain in effect until noon on January 10, 2021.
BOSTON — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that nearly $49 million in grants to small businesses will be awarded through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. In October, the $50.8 million grant program was announced as a key component of Partnerships for Recovery, the Administration’s comprehensive plan to get people back to work, support small businesses, foster innovation, revitalize downtowns, and ensure housing stability.
The Baker-Polito Administration today is filing legislation to sustain unemployment benefits and provide an estimated $1.3 billion in unemployment insurance relief to the Commonwealth’s employers over two years. In addition to a two-year unemployment insurance tax schedule freeze, the legislation also proposes financing measures designed to ensure the solvency of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and that federal borrowing that has occurred is repaid in a responsible and affordable manner.
BOSTON – Due to the upcoming winter storm, the Baker-Polito Administration has directed that non-emergency state employees working in Executive Branch agencies should not report to their workplaces on Thursday, December 17, 2020.
Employees who have the capacity to telework will be expected to do so in accordance with the Telework Policy.
The Administration is urging residents to stay off roadways and to use public transportation when possible.
The Baker-Polito Administration remains in close contact with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service, MassDOT and State Police to monitor the forecast. The MBTA Storm Desk will continue to monitor rail service throughout the storm and provide updates to commuters at http://www.MBTA.com/winter.
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Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced allocation and distribution plans for the first round of COVID-19 vaccine shipments to Massachusetts set to begin around December 15. The state’s first shipment of 59,475 doses of the Pfizer vaccine was ordered from the federal government this past Friday and will be delivered directly to 21 hospitals across 8 counties, as well as to the Department of Public Health Immunization lab.
