Coronavirus

Watertown Memorial Day Parade Cancelled; Info on Aid for Residents During COVID-19

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Members of the Watertown Sons of Italy group joined Monday’s Memorial Day Parade

The annual Memorial Day Parade in Watertown has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced the cancellation in his weekly COVID-19 update. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Town has made the decision to cancel this year’s Memorial Day Parade,” Driscoll wrote in his announcement. “Patrick George, the Veterans’ Services Officer, is coordinating with Veterans Organizations and other key stakeholders to identify alternate ways to appropriately honor the holiday and the Veterans who have lost their lives. Contingency plans for Memorial Flags and Memorial Wreaths are also being worked on.”

Around Town

Tips for Seniors to Avoid Loneliness & Isolation; Info From Senior Center

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Watertown Senior Center

Here is the latest information from the Watertown Senior Center provided by the Watertown Council on Aging:

Please note that the Senior Center is currently closed for all programs, activities and services, senior parking permits, appointments, and shuttle bus services until further notice due to COVID-19. Although the building is closed, staff will still respond to your phone calls and to emails. You can reach us by calling the Senior Center at (617) 972-6490 or by emailing SeniorCenter@watertown-ma.gov. We will get back to you. For information about COVID-19, you can call the Town’s hotline at (617) 972-6565. As always, Call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency.

Around Town

Two More COVID-19 Deaths in Watertown, State Sees Largest Number of Positive Tests

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Watertown had its eighth and ninth Coronavirus-related deaths, the Health Department announced Thursday, and Massachusetts had more than 3,000 new positive tests for the virus. The town now has 162 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and nine fatalities — two more than the last update on Monday. Fifty people have recovered from the virus, according to the Watertown Health Department website. Also on Thursday, Massachusetts saw the largest number of new cases reported in one day, 3,079, according to the Mass. Department of Public Health website.

Child Care

Gov. Closes Schools Through the End of the School Year Due to COVID-19

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Gov. Charlie Baker, with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday afternoon that all K-12 school buildings, public and private, will remain closed through the end of the school year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Baker made the announcement during his COVID-19 update at noon on Tuesday. He said there has been no guidance that would allow schools to safely reconvene during the Coronavirus outbreak. Baker told students that the state order does not mean that students should stop laerning.

Around Town

Two More COVID-19 Related Deaths in Watertown, New Cases in State Falling Slightly

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The Watertown Health Department announced Monday that the number of COVID-19 related deaths rose to seven, with the two most recent fatalities. Watertown’s total positive Coronavirus cases rose to 147, and 46 people have recovered, according to the Health Department. The new cases in Massachusetts have been going down, according to the latest information released by the Mass. Department of Public Health. On Monday, the state had 1,566 new cases, and there were 103 more COVID-19 related deaths.

Around Town

Find Out More About Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

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Massachusetts State House. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance provided the following Q&A about Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the program that was created by the Federal CARES Act. The new program provides up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits to individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment, including gig-workers, self-employed, those who have lost work hours and people who had a job offer rescinded due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Find out more information and how to apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program by clicking here. Frequently Asked Questions

Does the CARES Act provide benefits to workers who have been ineligible for regular or extended benefits until now?

Schools

MassBay College Offering Virtual Info Sessions for Prospective Students

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MassBay Community College Admissions Office is now offering all information sessions and events, previously held in-person, as virtual events. Recognizing the seriousness of social distancing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the need of many to move to remote services, the College has moved to an online format to speak and interact with prospective students. A MassBay admissions counselor will contact anyone already signed up for an information session with instructions on how to join in virtually. “We were able to seamlessly shift to hosting information sessions online on March 16 to ensure students still had the opportunity to learn about all of MassBay’s programs,” said MassBay Director of Admissions, Alison McCarty. “We have found that prospective students are enjoying the online format with the ability to submit questions freely and have them answered right away. The feedback has been extremely positive as people are looking ahead to where they might be studying in the summer or fall.

Coronavirus

OP-ED: Mass. Legislature Passes Bill for Moratorium on Evictions, Foreclosures

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger, who represents Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston:

The legislature enacted (Friday) a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. We should not put tenants or homeowners out on the street while we are trying to enforce social distancing. The bill is not a rent or mortgage holiday. It does not extinguish the obligations of renters or borrowers. Those lucky enough to avoid job loss during the COVID-19 recession should continue to make their regular payments.