Business

One Watertown Institution Reopening After COVID-19 Break, Another Scaling Back; Latest Case Numbers

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Donohue’s Bar & Grill reopened after two weeks off due to the Coronavirus outbreak. A mainstay in the Watertown restaurant scene will be reopening after a couple weeks off during the Coronavirus outbreak, while a popular local market will be closing for in-store shopping. Over the weekend, J.D. Donohue announced that Donohue’s Bar & Grill will begin serving meals and alcohol for take out and deliver starting on Monday, April 6. “We closed after St. Patrick’s Day to give staff and kitchen staff and myself time to be quarantined,” Donohue said.

Government

Town Holding Select Meetings Virtually, Budget May Have to be Presented Remotely

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Since the social distancing requirements were put into place in Massachusetts due to COVID-19, there has only been one meeting held in Watertown. One more meeting is scheduled this week and others may be held this month with members participating remotely. On Thursday, April 9, the Historical Commission will hold a meeting, which will be conducted remotely and residents can attend by videoconference or call in with comments during public hearings. The first meeting held during the COVID-19 outbreak was a March 23 School Committee meeting, where committee members and the public joined using the Zoom app. There were some complaints of people not being able to hear, and concerns that they could not participate.

Around Town

Library May be Closed, But There are Plenty of Resources for Kids & Teens, Even if You Don’t Have a Card

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Library:

Watertown Free Public Library

As directed by Town Manager Michael Driscoll, the Watertown Free PublicLibrary will remain closed to the public until Monday, May 4th to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. This extends the Library’s previous closure period by four weeks. Although the doors at 123 Main Street may be closed to the public, that doesn’t mean the Watertown Free Public Library has gone dark. In the past two weeks, the Library has increased digital collections of ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and news sources. Library staff are also creating online classes, demonstrations, and activities for kids to reach residents stuck at home.

Around Town

Gov. Signs Bill Allow Towns to Delay Property Tax Deadlines, Take Out/Delivery Alcohol from Restaurants; Cases Jump 1,400 in Mass.

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Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation Friday that gives cities and towns the ability to relax property tax deadlines and also allows restaurants to sell beer and wine for take out or delivery. The restaurants must already have a license to sell alcohol to take advantage of this new provision, according to the story on WCVB Channel 5. The person receiving the alcohol must be 21 or older and an alcohol must be part of an order that includes food. The bill also allows municipalities to delay the due date for property tax by one month. The City of Springfield has already delayed its property tax deadline from May 1 to June 1, according to Masslive.com.

Around Town

Friday is First Day Businesses Can Apply for Paycheck Protection Loans, Part of COVID-19 Stimulus

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One of the key form of aid to businesses dealing with the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak begins Friday — the Payroll Protection Program. The program is part of the Federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, and provides loans not only to businesses, but also non-profits and sole proprietors. The PPP was announced just last week and details are still being ironed out, including where to to to get the loans. Doug Orifice, principal at Arsenal Financial and co-founder of the Watertown Business Coalition, said that he has spent most of the last week pouring over the details of the CARES Act looking for ways it can help small businesses. The PPP may be a big help.

Business

Info on Town Services, Closures & Supporting Local Businesses in the Town Manager’s COVID-19 Update

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Watertown Town Hall

The following announcement was provided by Watertown Town Manager Michael Driscoll’s office:

Essential Services Order

Governor Charlie Baker’s emergency order requiring that all businesses and organizations that do not provide “COVID-19 Essential Services” close their physical workplaces and facilities to workers, customers and the public will be extended until May 4th. Businesses and organizations not on the list of essential services are encouraged to continue operations through remote means that do not require workers, customers, or the public to enter or appear at the brick-and-mortar premises closed by the order. This order also prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people until May 4th. On March 31st, The Commonwealth updated the “COVID-19 Essential Services” list, which is based on federal guidance that was updated earlier this week. While these businesses are designated as essential, they are urged to follow social distancing protocols for workers in accordance with guidance from the Department of Public Health (DPH).

Around Town

Gov. Baker Gives Estimates for COVID-19 Cases in State, Beach Parking Closing

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Massachusetts will see between 47,000 to 172,000 cases of Coronavirus during the outbreak, according to the latest models. Gov. Charlie Baker discussed the figures during an update on COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon. Those numbers would be 0.7 to 2.5 percent of the state’s population, and the peak is expected to occur between April 10 and 20, according to a WBZ Channel 4 story. As of Thursday, Massachusetts had 8,966 cases and 154 people have died, according to the Mass. Department of Public Health.

Around Town

Boston Marathon Organizers Offering Refunds to Entrants

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The organizers of the Boston Marathon announced that refunds will be offered for those who decide not to participate in the rescheduled race in September. The deadline to accept or reject the refund is May 29, 2020. Also, the B.A.A. 5K has been postponed to Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. The following information was provided by the B.A.A.:

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced that participants in the 2020 Boston Marathon, which was originally scheduled for April 20, 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, may elect to receive a refund for entry fees associated with the Boston Marathon.