Cape Cod & COVID-19 Resources

Overview

This list of local, state, and national resources includes health and safety information, resources for small businesses, details on tax-relief and unemployment programs.

LINKS TO TOWN INFO ON COVID-19

Barnstable | Bourne | Brewster | Chatham | Dennis | Eastham | Falmouth | Harwich | Mashpee | Orleans | Provincetown | Sandwich | Truro | Wellfleet | Yarmouth

REGIONAL-LEVEL RESOURCES 

• Learn about local testing information and the latest updates from Cape Cod Healthcare. 
• Find information about the vaccine from the MA Department of Public Health and Barnstable County. 
• The Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment is maintaining a website for COVID-19 updates and information.
• Information about COVID-19 testing is also available at Outer Cape Health Services.
• The Cape Cod COVID-19 Response Task force has compiled resources for residents, visitors, businesses, employers and towns.
• The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce is sharing information at Cape Cod & COVID-19.
• The Barnstable County Human Services department has information on unemployment insurance, contacts for older adults and people with disabilities needing non-medical emergency assistance, emergency services hotlines, newsletters relating to public health and human services, and a comprehensive resources directory.  
• Housing Assistance Corporation has COVID-related resources with regards to housing including a workforce housing relief fund and rent and mortgage assistance. More information  
• Community Development Partnership is administering Community Development Block Grants for Lower and Outer Cape businesses. They have also compiled a list of resources for small businesses and is available to answer questions and help small businesses apply to certain state and federal relief programs. More information 
• The Lower Cape Outreach Council provides emergency assistance of food, clothing, and financial support to the 8 towns of the Lower Cape. More information
• Coastal Community Capital provides links to COVID-19 resources for Cape Cod small businesses.
• Cape Cod Community College is offering grant-funded employer programs through June 2021 through the Small Business Direct Access Program, which offers seats, free of charge, to eligible businesses. 
• The MassHire Cape & Islands Career Center is available by phone and email to assist and answer questions, and is a resource to those facing unemployment. More information about filing for unemployment
• Find the closest COVID-19 testing site to you with the Testing Site Locator app. All information is sourced from the websites of local governments and healthcare providers and is not authoritative; please contact testing sites or your local health department directly for official information and testing requirements. 
• Love Live Local is maintaining a list of food establishments, grocery stories, and pharmacies that are still Open for Business on Cape Cod and started The Cape Cod Resilience Fund to support local businesses during the pandemic 
• Several local chambers of commerce are maintaining COVID-19 information and links on their website, including a list of restaurants now offering take-out and delivery:
  • Cape Cod Canal Region | Dennis | Eastham | Falmouth| Orleans | Sandwich | Wellfleet | Yarmouth
• SCORE Cape Cod is providing reopening toolkits to small businesses and non-profits 
• Free PPE, including masks, gloves, and sanitizer, are available to area child care and early education providers courtesy of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Please contact the Child Care Network in Hyannis (bethg@cacci.cc or (508) 778-9470) or the Cape Cod Children’s Place in Eastham (chorgan@capecodchildrensplace.com) for more information.
• For support and best practices for child care and early education providers navigating the reopening process, contact Denise Graham-Reardon of the YMCA Cape Cod at dgraham-reardon@ymcacapecod.org.
• Cape Light Compact has increased many energy efficiency incentives for businesses to reduce their energy and overhead costs, especially while they face the economic impacts of COVID-19. More information. 
• Women of Fishing Families (W.O.F.F.), with the support of the Chatham Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation, is offering emergency financial assistance and other resources to fishermen and their families. 
• The Town of Yarmouth is offering its small businesses short-term working capital for application toward expenses through its CDBG Grant Program.
• Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund is offering up to $500 to full- or part-time professional artists who lost income due to the pandemic. 

STATE-LEVEL RESOURCES

• The most updated information for Massachusetts is available at the State's COVID-19 website. 
• State’s COVID-19 Resources and Guidance for Businesses
• MassDevelopment provides grant money for programs designed to improve economic development and competitiveness across the Commonwealth, including the Commonwealth Places grant for non-profits and community groups to advance locally driven placemaking in downtown and neighborhood commercial districts in eligible communities. More information
• The Baker-Polito Administration’s comprehensive plan for reopening the Massachusetts economy includes general business guidance for reopening. More information
• The Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation Biz-M-Power Grant Program aims to assist small businesses with facility and equipment needs. More information.
• The Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation Grant Program for the Development of Digital Capabilities Program aims to equip small businesses with the tools and services necessary to develop digital capabilities. More information.
• The Massachusetts Housing Partnership has information regarding affordable housing during the pandemic, including resources for setting up an emergency rental assistance program and other local financing options. 
• The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) website provides the latest information on how to apply for unemployment benefits and Workshare, a program that allows employees to work reduced hours while collecting unemployment benefits to supplement their lower wages.
• The MA Small Business Development Center Network maintains a list of COVID resources and provides training to small business owners. More information 
• Entrepreneurs: EforAll has compiled a list of national, regional, and local resources for entrepreneurs and small businesses
• Rapid Response works closely with companies to avert layoffs. More information
• Massachusetts 2-1-1 is a 24-hr state-supported telephone hotline that provides real-time COVID-19 information, resources, and referrals in multiple languages. More information
• Massachusetts Community Development Block Grant funds available to eligible municipalities to respond to COVID-19. More information
• The MA Department of Early Education and Care and Department of Public Health share guidance on reopening for early education and child care providers. More information
• The New England Musicians Relief Fund provides financial assistance and critical resources to professional musicians experiencing unexpected or catastrophic income loss due to COVID-19. More information

NATIONAL-LEVEL RESOURCES

• The federal government provides links to current information about COVID-19. More information
• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers information to communities and individuals on how to prepare for COVID-19.
• The US Treasury has released an overview of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds in the American Rescue Plan. More information 
• US Small Business Administration (SBA) provides relief to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters, including the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans. More information
  • SBA established the Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant Program to provide emergency assistance for eligible venues affected by the COVID pandemic. More information 
  • SBA has extended the deferment period for certain loans until 2022. More information.
  • SBA established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, open May 3, 2021, to support restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses due to COVID-19. More information.
• Restore Your Economy from the International Economic Development Council is a resource for up-to-date information related to COVID-19 and its economic impacts. More information
• The US Economic Development Administration (EDA) has published the FY 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs Notice of Funding Opportunity (PWEAA NOFO) that provides economically distressed communities and regions with comprehensive and flexible resources to address a wide variety of economic needs. 
• NOAA is managing CARES Act funding available to the fisheries industry. More information
• OSHA provides Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19. More information
• U.S. Treasury and IRS provide guidance on deferring tax payments due to COVID-19. More information.
• Artists, musicians, and performers: Americans for the Arts is offering resources for affected artists and art organizations.
• The US Chamber of Commerce provides a Coronavirus Small Business Resource Guide on their site. More information 

• The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has issued six Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) supported by the American Rescue Plan:

  • The Build Back Better Regional Challenge ($1 billion nationwide) will assist 20-30 regions countrywide in accelerating their COVID-19 economic recovery through investments in regional industry clusters.
  • The Good Jobs Challenge ($500 million) aims to get Americans back to work through investments in collaborative skills training systems and programs.
  • The Economic Adjustment Assistance program ($500 million), the most flexible program, aims to help communities plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through investments in construction or non-construction projects.
  • The Indigenous Communities Program ($100 million) aims to support Tribal Governments and Indigenous communities and assist in the development and execution of economic development projects advancing COVID1-9 recovery.
  • The Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation program ($750 million) aims to accelerate the recovery of communities reliant on travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation through both State Tourism Grants and Competitive Grants.
  • The Statewide Planning, Research & Networks program will invest in projects advancing equity and local economies' resilience through State Planning Grants ($59 million) and Research and Networks Grants ($31 million).