11 more COVID-19 cases, one more death reported in New Bedford

Mayor Jon Mitchell’s office reported one more COVID-19 related death and 11 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases in New Bedford Thursday afternoon, bringing the total positive cases in the city to 174, up from 163 yesterday. The total COVID-19 related deaths in New Bedford is now at eight. Mayor Mitchell reported four new COVID-19 related death on Tuesday.

Fall River reported an additional 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. According to Mayor Coogan’s Office, there are now 165 confirmed cases in Fall River. 66 cases have been cleared as of Wednesday, however, Fall River saw its first fatality from the virus. Full details here.

On April 15, the Massachusetts Public Health Department reported that the state added 1,755 more positive cases of COVID-19 bringing to total to 29,918. This is an increase from Tuesday’s 1,296 reported cases. 151 new COVID-19 related deaths were reported since yesterday, up from 113, bringing the total deaths in Massachusetts to 1,108. Full details here.




First Responders crisscross Boston in parade to show support and gratitude to nurses and doctors

“In a tribute designed to honor those lost during the Marathon Bombings on April 15, 2013, first responders from all over the city made their way to Boston Police Headquarters to participate in a parade designed to salute those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

At about 7:00pm, on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, first responders from several agencies including Boston Police, Boston Fire, Boston EMS, Mass State Police, Transit Police, Brookline Police and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, to name a few, gathered in front of Boston Police Headquarters for the start of a rolling rally, complete with flashing lights and loud sirens, that would roll by eight different hospitals in Boston in a determined effort to acknowledge the incredible working being done by nurses and doctors around the city in the ongoing battle against the spread of COVID-19.

Said one nurse, “It brought a tear to my eye. Everybody in my hospital and really hospitals everywhere are working around-the-clock under trying conditions to provide the best care we can. It hasn’t been easy. But, to see what seemed like a never-ending stream of police cars, fire trucks and ambulances passing by to say thank you meant the world to us.” The appreciation parade visited eight hospitals including: BMC, Tufts Medical, Mass General, St. Elizabeth’s, Children’s, Brigham and Women’s, Beth Israel Deaconess and the Carney Hospital in Dorchester. At each stop along the way, grateful nurses happily lined the streets and cheered enthusiastically as the appreciation parade passed by.

Hard to believe it’s been seven years since the attack on our marathon. But seven years later, we renew our promise to forever remember the lives of those lost on that sad, fateful today. So, on One Boston Day, April 15, 2020, we honor the lives of Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, Krystle Campbell, Officer Sean Collier and Sergeant Dennis Simmonds by honoring those who continue to fight and care for all those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.”

Boston Police Department photos.




Vote-by-mail in Massachusetts emerging as latest pandemic legislative issue

Chris Lisinski
State House News Service

Two state lawmakers have unveiled a bill that would reshape the 2020 elections to permit voting by mail for all statewide races and implement significant other changes to voting procedures in Massachusetts in years to come.

The legislation (SD 2912 / HD 5026), filed by Sen. Becca Rausch and Rep. Adrian Madaro, would send every registered voter a ballot by mail with a prepaid return envelope for both the Sept. 1 primary election and the Nov. 3 general election. For the primary, enrolled voters would automatically receive their party’s ballot, while independent voters — who comprise a majority of the electorate — would need to request a specific party ballot at least 35 days before Sept. 1 and could do so online.

Secretary of State William Galvin had flagged concerns Monday with vote-by-mail as a concept because of uncertainty about how election officials would know which primary ballot to send, since that’s a choice made by voters.

“We’re facing a global pandemic that makes traditional in-person voting seriously concerning if not downright dangerous, so we must proactively pursue alternative voting methods,” Rausch said in a press release. Said Madaro: “Mail voting already works in Massachusetts; we process thousands of mail-in absentee ballots every election with no issue.”

Polling places would not be shut down under Rausch and Madaro’s bill, and voters could still cast ballots in person if they prefer. The legislation requires the state to provide poll workers with personal protective equipment if the coronavirus pandemic still poses a risk by late summer and in the fall.

Massachusetts would pay the costs of vote-by-mail and to maintain a digital central voter registry, partially using federal funds. The bill also would permanently declare the November Election Day as a legal holiday. Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem also filed an early voting by mail bill, although hers requires voters to proactively request ballots and does not include Election Day holiday language.




Massachusetts COVID-19 deaths jump 151, passing 1,000 total deaths

On April 15, the Massachusetts Public Health Department reported that the state added 1,755 more positive cases of COVID-19 bringing to total to 29,918. This is a increase from Tuesday’s 1,296 reported cases. 151 new COVID-19 related deaths were reported since yesterday, up from 113, bringing the total deaths in Massachusetts to 1,108.

As of 4 pm today, 132,023 people in Massachusetts have been tested for COVID-19 – 5,472 in the past 24 hours compared to the previous day’s total of 4,502.

Mayor Jon Mitchell’s office reported several additional confirmed COVID-19 cases in New Bedford Tuesday afternoon, bringing the total positive cases in the city to 163, up from 156 yesterday. Mayor Mitchell reported four new COVID-19 related death on Tuesday.

According to Mayor Coogan’s Office, there are now 165 confirmed cases in Fall River. 66 cases have been cleared as of Wednesday, however, Fall River has seen the first fatality from the virus.Full details here.

“The Town of Dartmouth continues to show evidence of widespread community transmission of COVID-19 along with Bristol County, Massachusetts, and the United States. Full details here.

A health care professional at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office has tested positive for COVID-19. Full details here.




New Bedford Regional Airport awarded $69,000 in CARES Act Funding, Massachusetts $171 Million

United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), along with Representatives Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01), James P. McGovern (D-MA-02), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08), William Keating (D-MA-09), Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA-04), Katherine Clark (D-MA-05) and Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), announced that Massachusetts airports have been awarded over $171 million in federal grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

“Airports in Massachusetts and across the country — which fuel our national and regional economy — have been hit hard by this public health emergency,” said Senator Warren. “This much-needed economic relief will allow the Commonwealth’s airports to support their workers and maintain essential operations, and I’ll keep pushing the federal government to support them during this difficult time.”

“Boston Logan, Worcester Regional, and all of our airports across the Commonwealth are essential hubs for travel and commerce,” said Senator Markey. “This emergency relief will ensure that the people of Massachusetts can return to safe and secure airport facilities when it’s appropriate, and that our hardworking aviation professionals can stay on the job. I am proud to have fought for and helped secure this funding. As Congress debates future relief packages, I will make sure our transportation systems remain strong.”

“Thanks to the CARES Act, regional airports across the First District of Massachusetts will have the ability to continue essential operations and support their employees,” said Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means Richard E. Neal. “As an author of this legislation, I take pride in the fact that we are able to assist so many groups of workers who find themselves on the front lines of this pandemic – those who work in these kinds of transportation hubs included. This funding will provide support to ensure that these airports are financially viable and able to return to their full capacity once this public health emergency subsides.”

“This emergency funding that Congress appropriated through the CARES Act will save jobs and ensure airports in Worcester, Orange, and Montague are ready for business once this crisis ends,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “During this time of uncertainty, the people of Massachusetts ought to know that their Congressional Delegation will continue working together as a team to ensure that our Commonwealth gets the funding and resources we need to get through this pandemic.”

“As a member of the House Aviation Subcommittee, I am especially thankful that this aid will assist airport workers whose families are struggling and will allow essential workers to deliver medical supplies and equipment,” said Representative Lynch.

“With tourism as one of the main engines of our local economy, many industries in our community are suffering, including those that would transport the influx of tourists we are used to seeing every year,” said Congressman Keating. “Our airports act as vital hubs, not only for tourists, but also for supplies and other imports as well as exports from our local businesses. These funds will help to ensure they not only survive this pandemic but continue operations and to pay their employees.”

“Our Commonwealth’s airports strengthen and support our state and local economies while employing workers who live in their own communities,” said Congressman Kennedy. “With this funding, we can maintain regional transportation options and help localities like Taunton and Mansfield as they confront this unprecedented pandemic.”

“From our pilots to our baggage handlers, the airline industry and our airports have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Congresswoman Clark. “House Democrats fought to ensure that the federal stimulus supports both our airline companies and it’s workers. These dollars will help ensure that workers continue to receive a paycheck during these unprecedented times and that we remain ready and able to reopen for business when the time comes.”

“During this crisis, every dollar in federal aid counts and I’m proud to support our state’s airports. This funding will help airport operations and save jobs across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Congresswoman Lori Trahan.

The airports receiving funding include:

Laurence G. Hanscom Field (Bedford) – $1,041,944
Beverly Regional (Beverly) – $69,000
General Edward Lawrence Logan International (Boston) – $141,340,992
Chatham Municipal (Chatham) – $30,000
Westover ARB/Metropolitan (Chicopee) – $69,000
Fitchburg Municipal (Fitchburg) – $69,000
Gardner Municipal (Gardner) – $30,000
Walter J Koladza (Great Barrington) – $1,000
Barnstable Municipal-Boardman/Polando Field (Hyannis) – $17,971,966
Lawrence Municipal (Lawrence) – $69,000
Mansfield Municipal (Mansfield) – $30,000
Marshfield Municipal – George Harlow Field (Marshfield) – $69,000
Turners Falls (Montague) – $30,000
Nantucket Memorial (Nantucket) – $6,203,288
New Bedford Regional (New Bedford) – $69,000
Harriman-And-West (North Adams) – $30,000
Norwood Memorial (Norwood) – $69,000
Orange Municipal (Orange) – $30,000
Pittsfield Municipal (Pittsfield) – $69,000
Plymouth Municipal (Plymouth) – $69,000
Provincetown Municipal (Provincetown) – $1,042,446
Southbridge Municipal (Southbridge) – $30,000
Taunton Municipal – King Field (Taunton) – $30,000
Martha’s Vineyard (Vineyard Haven) – $1,216,447
Westfield-Barnes Regional (Westfield) – $69,000
Worcester Regional (Worcester) – $1,299,693




COVID-19 field hospitals going up in Lowell, Dartmouth

Two more field hospitals are in the works for University of Massachusetts campuses in Lowell and Dartmouth, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday after touring the 94-bed medical center set up over six days at a Joint Base Cape Cod gymnasium.

Baker also announced that state officials will be publicly posting daily updates on hospital capacity and personal protective equipment distribution, providing a window into the health care system’s ability to respond to an expected surge in COVID-19 patients.

An initial set of numbers posted Tuesday afternoon showed that the state had distributed 380 ventilators, plus hundreds of thousands of different types of masks, 179,733 gowns and more than 2.2 million gloves across various entities and regions.

A new hospital capacity report, based on numbers from Sunday, shows that about half of the state’s total 15,900 beds suitable for COVID-19 patients are available.

“Our hospitals, who we’re talking to every day, are managing the influx of new patients,” Baker said. “Nobody is rationing anything, but we’re still on the upswing in this pandemic. Everybody’s done a great job.”

He said a 95-bed field hospital in a UMass Lowell recreation center, a partnership with Lowell General Hospital, is on track to open Monday, and work on a 140-bed site at UMass Dartmouth will be finished up this week.

Three field medical centers have been set up so far — at the DCU Center in Worcester, the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and Joint Base Cape Cod.

The military base field hospital in Buzzards Bay will be managed by Cape Cod Healthcare. Michael Lauf, the head of the health care organization, said the facility will be able to treat patients this weekend.

Lauf said the “hospital that used to be a gym just six days ago” now has portable X-ray equipment, pharmaceuticals, lab work capability and electronic medical records access.

Patients will not be admitted directly, but will go through a traditional hospital and sent to the facility when it is appropriate. The field hospital will “take care of patients that are not quite as ill as you would generally see in acute care settings, but still not well enough to go home,” he said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 126,551 people had been tested for COVID-19, and 28,163 people were confirmed to have the disease, according to the Department of Public Health. A total of 957 people in Massachusetts have died from COVID-19.

Baker said the data that state officials are using shows difficult days and weeks ahead. He has previously projected that a surge of COVID-19 cases and associated hospitalizations will peak around April 20.

“And that’s precisely why we’re here today and planning for what we call the worst-case scenario,” he said. “We certainly hope we don’t have to use these beds, or certainly not all of them, but we wanted to have a plan to make sure that we could if we needed to.”

Baker declared a state of emergency 35 days ago. Schools and most businesses are closed, and residents remain under a stay-at-home advisory and have been asked to cover their faces if they do go outside for essential trips, including grocery runs and walks.

Baker does not wear masks when he delivers his daily briefings on the state’s response to the coronavirus. He said he wore one on his tour of the Joint Base Cape Cod hospital and does so when he visits other places or goes for a walk around his Swampscott neighborhood.

Responding to a reporter’s question about why he doesn’t wear a mask, Baker said that, during his televised updates, he wants “to make sure that people actually hear what I have to say, especially when we do these briefings because a lot of the messaging is designed to get to the people in Massachusetts.”

“And I want to make sure they’re going to hear me and that’s very hard to do if I’m wearing a mask,” he said.

The governor said conversations have begun about how to reopen the state, and that testing, tracing the contacts of any infected individuals, isolation and quarantine will be “big parts of any legitimate effort and play a major role associated with any attempt to reopen.”

“Reversing course too soon, opening up before we’re ready and before we’ve done some of the things we need to do that we can do it safely and have a plan in place to make sure that we can monitor, measure and survey what’s going on will only make matters worse,” he said. “Everyone’s had to put up with an extraordinary amount of grief and in many cases, a tremendous amount of loss over the course of the past six weeks. Taking our foot off the pedal with respect to what we need to do to push back right now on this virus would squander in many cases a lot of the progress that we’ve made.”

Massachusetts is among a handful of northeast states joining together in a new council that plans to work on a regional framework to lift the various stay-at-home orders and advisories and reopen the economies.

The other states involved are New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island. Massachusetts was not included in the initial announcement, but New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in an afternoon press release Monday that Baker would join him and other governors in the effort.

Baker on Tuesday said the delay was because the press conference announcing the council conflicted with a conference call he had with Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Ways and Means chairmen Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues, and minority leaders Sen. Bruce Tarr and Rep. Brad Jones. The group normally sits down for an in-person meeting most Monday afternoons, but has lately moved that conversation to the phone to comply with social distancing guidelines.

“Every Monday at two o’clock — we do another one usually on Thursday afternoon as well — and it’s sacrosanct,” Baker said. “I mean, it’s on the calendar. You can’t change it. You’ve got to be there, and now more than ever we want to make sure that we don’t miss those opportunities to talk because we don’t have the same type of down-the-hall opportunity to engage when we’re not on those phone calls.”

Baker said many of the other states in the council are “significant commerce, trading and travel partners with us.”

“We are in a different place, in terms of our surge, than some of those other states are, but I do think it’s important for us to collaborate and cooperate where it makes sense on a go-forward basis, so that we know what they’re doing and they know what we’re doing and neither one of us, none of us, does something unintentionally that disadvantages or damages the others,” he said.

Baker is the only Republican governor participating in the regional council — the six other states are led by Democrats. A similar pact on the West Coast involves the Democratic governors of California, Oregon and Washington.

“Tell the Democrat Governors that ‘Mutiny On The Bounty’ was one of my all time favorite movies,” President Donald Trump posted on Twitter Tuesday morning. “A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!”

Baker did not directly answer a reporter’s question about whether he considered himself to be part of a mutiny.

“If you’ve learned nothing else about the Baker-Polito administration over the last five years it’s that we’re a lot more interested in the work that we are in the noise,” he said. “I think for Massachusetts to forge ahead here without presuming that we’re going to have conversations with states that are around us about what they’re up to and what we’re up to, so that we make sure nobody does anything that creates harm unwittingly for somebody else, it would just be a bad idea.”




Due dates extended for certain City of New Bedford bills amid state of emergency

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Due to the state of emergency declared citywide and statewide due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has provided municipalities with the ability to provide relief to taxpayers by extending deadlines for city bills and taxes.

New Bedford has extended several important deadlines:

– The due date for exemption and deferral applications for real estate taxes has been extended to June 1, 2020, moved from its original date of April 1, 2020.
– Interest and late payment penalties for excise tax, assessment, water and sewer rates, or other charges added to a tax for payments due March 10, 2020, or after, will be waived for bills paid late but paid on or before June 30, 2020.

New Bedford issued the following bills due after the state of emergency declaration:
– Motor vehicle excise tax commitments due March 16
– Motor vehicle excise tax commitments due April 22
– Real estate taxes (4th Quarter) due May 1
– Personal property taxes (4th Quarter) due May 1
– Boat excise tax due May 15
– Motor vehicle excise tax commitments due June 25 (estimated)

The Commonwealth has also prohibited municipalities from terminating an essential service if inability to pay was due to circumstances related to the outbreak of COVID-19.

City residents are strongly encouraged to pay bills online, by phone, by mail, or a drop-box location. Convenience fees normally charged for the processing of credit and debit cards are being refunded or credited back to the customer accounts during this period. As always, payments made by check or from your savings account are at no cost to the customer.

To pay bills online, visit www.newbedford-ma.gov and select Pay Bills. To pay by phone, contact the Treasurer’s Office at 508-979-1430.

Residents can use the mailing address printed on their bills or mail their bills to:

City Hall – Treasurer’s Office
133 William Street, Room 103
New Bedford, MA 02740

Residents can also drop off payments without person-to-person interaction by using one of the city’s drop-boxes. These white drop boxes are located at:

Corner of Elm and Sixth streets downtown
City Hall, 133 William Street (two locations: main entrance and Sixth Street entrance)
Department of Public Infrastructure, 1105 Shawmut Avenue

Anyone with questions about paying bills remotely should contact the Treasurer’s Office at 508-979-1430.




New Bedford Guide/Fall River Reporter to provide free marketing to South Coast businesses

We understand that marketing and other budgets are tight and want to take care of our South Coast business community. For the rest of April and all of May, New Bedford Guide and Fall River Reporter will be offering south coast, Massachusetts businesses a free Facebook live stream business spotlight – normally a $275 value.

Our business live streams are watched by 5,000 – 25,000 people, so it’s a fantastic way to get your product/service out to the community. You’ll be able to talk about your business and show off your products/services. Here is an example:

New Bedford Guide will continue to pay our employees their normal hourly rate to conduct these live streams. Want to support New Bedford Guide? Consider becoming a “Supporter” on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/becomesupporter/138933502809904/

To get your no-cost live stream video, please fill out this Google form and we will get back to you within 24-hours to schedule your video. Videos will be scheduled on a first come, first serve, availabilty basis, but all businesses that fill out the form will get a live video. Business live streams will be conducted on New Bedford Guide or Fall River Reporter’s Facebook page, or if preferred Dartmouth Guide, Fairhaven Guide or Tri-Town Guide.

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If you have any issues, please email leo@newbedfordguide.com.




Seven more COVID-19 cases reported in New Bedford, total rises to 163

Mayor Jon Mitchell’s office reported seven additional confirmed COVID-19 cases in New Bedford Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total positive cases in the city to 163, up from 156 yesterday. Mayor Mitchell reported four new COVID-19 related death on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Fall River reported an additional 8 confirmed cases of COVID-19. According to Mayor Coogan’s Office, there are now 154 confirmed cases in Fall River. 38 cases have been cleared. Full details here.

On April 14, the Massachusetts Public Health Department reported that the state added 1,296 more positive cases of COVID-19 bringing to total to 28,163. This is a decrease from Monday’s 1,392 reported cases. 113 new COVID-19 related deaths were reported since yesterday bringing the total deaths in Massachusetts to 957. Full details here.

“The Town of Dartmouth continues to show evidence of widespread community transmission of COVID-19 along with Bristol County, Massachusetts, and the United States. Full details here.

A health care professional at the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office has tested positive for COVID-19. Full details here.

In Greater New Bedford, residents are already feeling the impact of COVID-19. Many local businesses have closed or moved to reduced hours, workers are either out of work or struggling to find childcare, and schools have been closed until May. It’s an uncertain time and many are finding themselves in financial situations where they have to choose between food, rent and/ or medication. Full details here.

Tuesday, Representatives Tim Ryan (D-OH) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced the Emergency Money for the People Act to provide additional cash payments for Americans who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Emergency Money for the People Act expands relief to more Americans and includes a $2,000 monthly payment to every qualifying American over the age of 16 until employment returns to pre-COVID-19 levels. Full details here.




Boston City Council President calls for SNAP delivery, online purchases

Michael P. Norton
State House News Service

When the Boston City Council holds a virtual meeting at noon Wednesday, council president Kim Janey plans to offer a resolution in support of expanding SNAP benefits for online and delivery services.

“This is an economic justice issue,” Janey said in a statement Tuesday. “It is absolutely unacceptable that we are asking our most economically disadvantaged, who make up many of our essential workers, to put themselves at further risk during this crisis by not being able to shop online with EBT. This is why I am urging our federal partners to act swiftly and reassess their gradual roll-out of the EBT Online Purchasing Program.”

Janey’s office said six states are piloting an EBT Online Purchasing Program.