Chamber News

The Baker Administration announced $78.5 million in awards to 1,595 additional small businesses in the third round of grants through the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. To date, the administration has awarded close to $195 million in direct financial support to 4,119 small businesses out of a $668…

NPR – The Trump administration is making several big changes to its COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy, officials announced Tuesday, in a bid to jump-start the rollout and get more Americans vaccinated quickly. The first change is to call on states to expand immediately the pool of people eligible to receive vaccines to those 65 and older,…

The Boston Globe – The slow rollout of coronavirus vaccines has raised a host of questions about how state residents will know when it’s their turn to be immunized. With limited vaccines available and fewer shots being administered than promised, the Globe asked Dr. Paul Biddinger, medical director for emergency preparedness at Massachusetts General Hospital and…

Top-line-Overview-of-Second-Draw-PPP.pdf (treasury.gov) KLR – Registration (gotowebinar.com) SBA Posts Interim Final Rules Implementing Changes to First Draw and Second Draw Loans under the Paycheck Protection Program | Seyfarth Shaw LLP The Small Business Administration recently released new guidance governing the reopening of the Paycheck Protection Program. This guidance comes in the form of an Interim Final Rule, Interim…

EEOC Information The FAQs, which address all COVID-related issues, are here. The EEOC added a new section to the FAQs, Section K, in mid December.  Here it is: Vaccinations The availability of COVID-19 vaccinations may raise questions about the applicability of various equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws, including the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, GINA, and…

Vaccine Distribution Status: We are in Phase One with health-care providers and first responders.  Next week begins congregate care and related a- risk communities. As of today, the Baker Administration is planning that Phase Two would start around the same time as originally planned for February. COVID-19 Infection Rate(s) Status:  Key metrics relative to rate…

Governor Charlie Baker plans to refile a proposal to freeze pending increases in unemployment insurance rates for employers. The governor proposed the freeze during the just-concluded 2019-2020 session but lawmakers did not pass it. The proposed legislation seeks to sustain unemployment benefits and provide an estimated $1.3 billion in unemployment insurance relief to the commonwealth’s…

On January 8, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services issued an important update regarding the COVID-19 vaccine distribution for all home-based healthcare workers working in Massachusetts who will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1 of the roll-out beginning in February. Please see attached documents available in English and Spanish for more information. Download (PDF,…

Magazine – Dozens of School Districts shifted to remote learning for at least two weeks after the holidays in an effort to keep the virus out of schools in the event students and parents traveled or engaged in large-person events during the break. Brockton, which has an 11.85 percent community positive test rate, is delaying its return to in-person learning…

Over the weekend, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released the latest guidance for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).  The PPP is designed to provide financial support to small businesses to help keep their workforce employed. The revised PPP program: Allows for borrowers who previously received a PPP loan to apply for a “Second Draw” loan.Allows new borrowers…