May 11, 2020
Dear Friends ,
As we embark on a new work week under a bright May sun we are pleased to offer you today’s edition of our special COVID-19 newsletter.

Please save the date and plan to join us for our weekly business check-in and information sharing session this Thursday, May 14 at 10 a.m. Here is the Zoom link .

Sincerely,

Your Chamber Team

As always, we are here to support you with information about disaster loans, unemployment assistance and business and community resources. Please call 978 283-1601 or email us as follows:

        

News & Business Resources:

  • Boston –Community Tracing Collaborative Update. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, along with Partners In Health, has created the COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC). The program focuses on reaching out to the close contacts of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients to help others who have been potentially exposed to the virus. Calls will use the prefix 833 and 857 and your phone will say the call is from “MA COVID Team.” Calls will be made daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. When the MA COVID Team calls, you can do your part by answering the phone and providing helpful information that will help flatten and reduce the curve in Massachusetts. To learn more about the Community Tracing Collaborative please click here. If you are interested in becoming a Contact Tracer for the CTC please click here.

  • Boston –Reopening Advisory Board Seeks Input. The Massachusetts Reopening Advisory Board appointed last week by Governor Baker is inviting comments and recommendations from business owners and local official as they develop their report. If you would like to submit comments to the advisory board, please click on this link, which was shared with us by Senator Bruce Tarr. For further information, including the composition of this 17-member group, please click here. The Advisory Board’s report is due on May 18.

  • Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Continues. For further information about PPP and EIDL loans and other SBA loan and debt relief programs please click here.

  • Massachusetts Unemployment Assistance. The Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now accepting and processing Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) applications from those who are self-employed, independent contractors or part of the gig economy. For further information and to apply click here. For comprehensive information on Massachusetts Unemployment Assistance programs please click here.

  • Daily and Cumulative Data on Massachusetts COVID-19 cases and testing, and weekly data on confirmed cases by city/town and residents subject to COVID-19 quarantine is now available here.

  • Guidelines for Opening Up America Again. The President’s Coronavirus Task Force recently announced a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts. Read all the details here. To download a pdf of the Guidelines click here.
Chamber Resources:
  • The Chamber’s special COVID-19 information and resource page - including information and updates about Cape Ann’s businesses and their operations – continues to be updated daily. Please send your business information and updates to Olivia Perez-O’Dess ([email protected]).

  • Resources for Cape Ann Businesses. The Chamber team is working diligently to assist our members and the community as we navigate these uncertain times together. We encourage you to review the Chamber’s compendium of Business Resources and Recommended Actions here and we invite you to contact us if you have any questions or need assistance.  
Member & Community Updates: please click here .

Education & Training Resources:

New Listings / Upcoming Events:

  • The next MassPay Q&A webinar will take place on Tuesday, May 12 at 4 p.m. For more information and to register please click here. To submit your questions in advance please email [email protected].

  • The Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s Wednesday Workshop Series presents “Annual Tax Reporting for a Small Business” on Wednesday, May 13, at 9 and 10:30 a.m. For more information and to register, please click here.

  • The Massachusetts Health Connector for Business is conducting a free webinar on Thursday, May 14 at 11 am, for options for small businesses and their employees to get health insurance during this time. For more information and to register please click here.

  • Virtual Networking Webinar Replay. If you missed yesterday’s virtual networking webinar with Matt Ward - or if you would like to review some of his key networking tips - please click here.

Ongoing: For listings of education and training resources please click here .

Community Services & Resources:

New Listings / Upcoming Events:

  • SeniorCare Message: May is Older Americans Month. This year’s theme is “Make Your Mark” to remind us of and “celebrate countless contributions that older adults make to our communities.” To learn more about SeniorCare’s services, and COVID-19 resources please click here.

  • Discover Gloucester is offering business sector “Guest Preparedness” roundtable conversations. For the first session, on Wednesday, May 13 at 11 am, the focus will be on businesses in Cape Ann’s attractions and arts & culture sectors. Following that on Thursday, May 14 at 2 pm, attention will turn to Cape Ann’s restaurant sector. On Friday, May 15 at 11 am, the spotlight will be on Cape Ann’s retailers. For more information and to register RSVP to Elizabeth Carey at [email protected].

Ongoing: For listings of community services and resources please click here .
Members Helping Members & the Community:

New Listings:

  • Rockport Art Association & Museum offers “Art From the Soul” – An Online Art Course with Nella Lush. Saturdays, 10 AM – 1 PM, May 30; June 6, 13, 20. For more information and to register please click here.

  • The Art Nook is offering new works and free shipping. Artists Kathleen Miller and Stefan Mierz have been busy creating in the studio and invite you to visit their online store for a selection of prints and originals in all price ranges. FREE SHIPPING available on most originals.
Ongoing: For additional listings of members helping members and the community please click here .

As we learn of more creative ways that our members and our communities are adapting and responding, we will share them through all our Chamber communications channels.
Information Resources:

For the most current information about the federal, state and local response to COVID-19 – including information of particular relevance to employers and employees – we recommend visiting the following websites: 

  • COVID-19 Command Center Update: Read MEMA’s May 7 Command Center report here.

  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For the latest COVID-19 news and information for Massachusetts, including public health advisories, business resources and government services, please visit here.

  • Department of Public Health: Stay at Home Advisory. For details click here.







For information and updates specific to one’s local community, we recommend visiting the following city and town websites for Cape Ann:





Our goal as always is to serve as a trusted resource in providing our business community and residents with helpful information and guidance during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The members of your team here at the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce are here for you, as we all pull together to meet and overcome the challenges of COVID-19.
We at the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce would like to extend a big thank you to our supporting sponsors.

If you are interested in promoting with the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and sponsoring this newsletter, please contact Vince Mainetti at [email protected]