Below is a statement from Mayor McGee’s office we received on Friday, March 27, 2020. It also contains information from the state level about travelers to MA & the state tax deadline.
Beneath this is another statement from Mayor McGee in regards to the financial relief from the federal government.
See other COVID-19 related posts by clicking here.
See our running list of announcements for Lynn by visiting bit.ly/LynnCOVID19.
The City of Lynn, the Emergency Management Team and our Department of Public Health continue to take proactive steps to slow community transmission of COVID-19 and prepare for further spread of the virus. The Board of Health has been notified by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that we now have 28 confirmed cases of COVID- 19 in the City of Lynn, which includes 2 members of the city’s workforce.
Both employees disclosed their conditions to the Department of Public Health, who then immediately contacted all city staff who may have been in close contact with the impacted employees and implemented self-quarantine procedures accordingly. The Lynn Public Health Department will continue to follow the same practices to track all active cases, monitor their symptoms and notify each of their confirmed contacts to self-quarantine.
This weekend there is a Food Drive at Lynn City Hall on Saturday, March 28th & Sunday, March 29th from 11:00AM-3:00PM. Please donate any non-perishable food items in paper bags at the side parking lot of City Hall next to the Verizon Building. All volunteers will be wearing gloves and complying with proper social distancing protocols during the food drive. People who are donating will not need to exit their cars, the donations will be collected at a single table by volunteers, in a drive-thru style. All of the food collected will go to seniors who are experiencing food insecurity. If you are a senior in need of food assistance, please call 781-586-6740 for more information.
Today, Governor Baker announced during his press conference that the state is asking all travelers arriving in Massachusetts to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days. Additionally, the Massachusetts Tax Filing Deadline has been extended to July 15 , which is the same date as the Federal Tax Filing deadline.
“I want to continue to reiterate the importance that residents abide by the Department of Public Health’s stay at home advisory,” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “Residents are still able to go outside for a brief period of time to walk, run, or other types of exercise, but they must still follow the social distancing protocols of staying 6 feet away from others. The coronavirus is spread very easily from person to person, and individuals can still spread the virus even if they are not showing symptoms. We need to all work together to do our part to prevent community spread by practicing social distancing at all times.”
We will continue to provide regular updates on the City website, social media, and through the Smart 911 emergency notification system as the situation evolves. We encourage all residents to visit the City of Lynn Health Department “Coronavirus Resources” page at
www.lynnma.gov/coronavirus which includes information and links on COVID-19 from the CDC, and to sign up for the Smart 911 updates at smart911.com/.
Please follow www.lynnma.gov for more updates.
Today, Congress approved and sent to the President for signature the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. This bill was just approved by the Senate on Wednesday by the House Friday. This package will provide much needed relief to residents, small businesses and municipalities.
“While we are staying apart from our friends and family, we are all sticking together to prevent community spread. I know this crisis is causing people significant economic hardship.” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “I would like to thank our Federal delegation for reaching across the aisle and working in a bipartisan manner to expedite the federal stimulus bill and get dollars into the hands of those that sorely need it. Here are some important portions of the bill that will directly impact our residents and small businesses to hopefully address some of the economic challenges we are facing”:
Direct Payments to Working Americans
o Eligible households making below $75,000 (single) and ($150,000 married) will receive a payment of $1,200; plus an additional $500 payment per child,
o The value begins decreasing and then phases out completely for those making over the full payment income cap.
Unemployment insurance ($260 billion)
o Vastly expands who is eligible for unemployment insurance. Unemployment will include not only payroll workers, but contract workers, gig workers, self-employed small business owners, those who are furloughed and not necessarily laid off, and others who are generally not eligible for unemployment benefits.
o Full paycheck replacement ($600 increase for every American, on top of state unemployment)
o 13-week extension of benefits
o Federal incentives for states to waive “waiting weeks” and get money in people’s pockets sooner
Small Business Rescue Plan ($377 billion)
o $350 billion in loan forgiveness grants to small businesses and non-profits to maintain existing workforce and help pay for other expenses like rent, utilities, etc
o $10 billion for SBA emergency grants of up to $10,000 to provide immediate relief for small business operating costs
o $17 billion for SBA to cover 6 months of payments for small businesses with existing SBA loans
Housing and Homelessness
o $4 billion for Emergency Solutions Grants for homelessness assistance; o $1.25 billion for the Housing Choice Voucher program;
o $1 billion for project based rental assistance;
o $685 million for public housing;
o $65 million for Housing for Persons with AIDS;
o $50 million for Section 202 Housing for the Elderly; and
o $15 million for Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities.
I expect more information to be forthcoming in the upcoming days and weeks on how people and businesses can access those dollars. We will be updating information as we receive it on out web page at www.lynnma.gov and via our social media.
We are living in unprecedented times and I want to assure you that we will get through this together.
If you have a news story that you would like to share, please contact us via email or call 781-780-9460.
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