Economy

Today, the Baker-Polito Administration provided an update on the Reopening Massachusetts plan and preparations for Phase II. The Administration will determine the start of Phase II on June 6th. On Monday, Governor Charlie Baker will issue an executive order with a detailed list of sectors that fall into each phase. …

Colin A. Young State House News Service Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday evening signed into law a suite of unemployment insurance relief measures that are aimed at helping employers and claimants during the coronavirus pandemic. The bill signed into law (S 2618) includes an expansion of the maximum allowable claims …

With home values in New Bedford rising nearly 16% from a year ago, expect a significant increase in property taxes and rents in New Bedford in 2021. Home sales in New Bedford during April were down 27% pushing home prices nearly 16% higher to $257,500, up from $223,000 in April …

Michael P. Norton State House News Service Home sales in Massachusetts during April were down nearly 14%, although buyers and sellers wrapped up 3,706 sales agreements while the state grappled with a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths and as residents largely stayed home and away from shuttered workplaces. According …

Colin A. Young State House News Service Recreational marijuana stores will be allowed to reopen for curbside pick-up next Monday, just more than two months after they were ordered to close as part of the essential work order Gov. Charlie Baker put in place to control the spread of COVID-19. …

Katie Lannan State House News Service A group of eight House Democrats asked Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday to extend his administration’s stay-at-home advisory and closure of most businesses beyond its current May 18 lapse date. Baker’s economic reopening advisory board is set to issue its report Monday, and Baker …

Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a four-phase approach to reopening the Massachusetts economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and published Mandatory Workplace Safety Standards that will apply across all sectors and industries once reopening begins. The goal of the phased reopening, based on public health guidance, is to methodically allow certain …

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first diagnostic test with the option of using home-collected saliva samples for COVID-19 testing. Specifically, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory for their COVID-19 laboratory developed test (LDT), which had been previously added to …

Colin A. Young State House News Service Gov. Charlie Baker is ready to let people tee off in Massachusetts again. The administration updated a COVID-19 essential services webpage Thursday morning and said that while golf courses are not considered essential businesses, “private operators of golf courses may permit individuals access …

Today, Congressman Bill Keating announced an additional $1,956,550 in funding from the US Department of Transportation for four airports in the Ninth Congressional District. The following airports received grants: – $927,000 for Barnstable Municipal Airport to acquire snow removal equipment and an additional $250,000 to acquire an aircraft rescue vehicle; …