us unemployment at depression levels · 2020-05-09 · and it robs president donald trump of the...

D I S T I N G U I S H E D N E W S PA P E R O F T H E Y E A R

S P O R T S | B 1

GAMES FEELING THE HEATAt least 70% of the U.S. Olympic sports organizations have applied for government loans because of the pandemic 

M OV I E S & M O R E | C 1

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ZOOM!Hollywood sound and lighting pros off er tips for better videoconferencing sessions at home

$3 Cape & IslandsSaturday, May 9, 2020 @capecodtimes facebook.com/capecodtimescapecodtimes.comThe Cape and Islands’ Daily Newspaper

Classified .................................. C5Comics ......................................B5Crossword ................................. C6

Obituaries ................................. C4Opinion .................................... A6TV & Advice .............................. C3

Volume 84, Issue 112© Gannett Co., Inc. 2020.

MONDAY

A little rain59° / 43°

SUNDAY

Some sun56° / 48°

TODAY

Rain49° / 38°

An empty staging area leads to the Steamship Authority ferry Woods Hole as it prepares to head out to Martha’s Vineyard. With a steep decline in ridership during the coronavirus outbreak, the authority cut 1,410 trips through May 5, a 52% decrease from its normal schedule. [STEVE

HEASLIP/CAPE COD TIMES FILE]

By Ethan Genteregenter@capecodonline.com

WASHINGTON — Members ofthe Massachusetts congressionaldelegation have sent a letter toHouse and Senate leaders urgingthem to provide at least $3 billionin emergency relief to ferry ser-vices, including the Woods Hole,Martha’s Vineyard and NantucketSteamship Authority.

“This unprecedented time meansextensive measures have been takento prioritize public health, whichhave led to a significant drop inferry passenger activity,” Sens.Elizabeth Warren and EdwardMarkey and U.S. Rep. WilliamKeating, all Democrats, say in theletter. “As a result, ferry serviceslike the SSA need critical financialsupport to weather these economicchallenges, and we urge you to

Congressional delegation seeks aid for ferry lineSteamship Authority has lost about $1M a week during pandemic

R E L I E F F U N D

LEARN ABOUT THE FUND AND DONATE AT MAJORCRISISRELIEFFUND.ORG.MCRF is part of the Cape Cod Times Needy Fund and has mobilized to help residents fi nancially aff ected by the coronavirus crisis.

Inside

Barnstable Municipal Airport offi cials say it will take years to recover from pandemic's impact. A3

By Doug Fraserdfraser@capecodonline.com

State officials are working on how to distribute more than $28 million in federal fishing aid intended to help fishermen and fishing businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

T h e f u n d i n g r e p r e s e n t s Massachusetts’ share of a $300 million pot of federal money being distributed nationwide.

On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S.

Department of Commerce announced they were releasing the aid, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to fishermen and fishing businesses affected by COVID-19.

Massachusetts was third on the list of 31 U.S. states, territories and federally recognized tribes with more than $28 million in funding. The maximum amount of aid per state was capped at $50 million and the minimum was set at $1 million.

The amounts allocated to each state were determined by using total annual revenue from com-mercial fishing, charter fishing,

State nets $28M in funds to help fi shing industry

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey: “The $28 million in aid for Massachusetts should only be the beginning.”

Legislators lobby for additional federal money to keep fi shermen, businesses afl oat

Sal Bonanno follows his shot off the fi rst tee at Hyannis Golf Course on Friday, one day after Gov. Charlie Baker allowed courses across the state to reopen with certain restrictions. Courses have been closed since March when the governor deemed them nonessential businesses. Read more about golf’s return to the Cape on B1. [STEVE HEASLIP/CAPE COD TIMES]

Striking distance

See FERRY, A4

See FISHING, A4

By Cynthia McCormickcmccormick@capecodonline.com

CENTERVILLE — A Centervillewoman says she has asked stateofficials to close a COVID-19 unitat Cape Regency Rehabilitationand Health Care Center, where thestaff has been hit so hard by thecoronavirus that Cape legislators —unsuccessfully — asked a NationalGuard medical unit to extend itsstay.

At least 25 patients — more than aquarter of the nursing home’s resi-dents — have tested positive for thenew coronavirus.

So have 35 staff members,state Rep. William Crocker Jr.,R-Centerville, said. That comes tonearly 19% of the 187 employees.

Legislators unsuccessfully seek extended help for Cape RegencyResident’s daughter asks state to close COVID-19 unit at nursing facility

See REGENCY, A4

By Christopher RugaberThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The coro-navirus crisis has sent U.S. unemployment surging to 14.7%, a level last seen when the country was in the throes of the Depression and President Franklin D. Roosevelt

was assuring Americans that the only thing to fear was fear itself.

And because of government errors and the particular way the Labor Department measures the job market, the true picture is even worse. By some calculations, the unemployment rate stands at 23.6%, not far from the Depression peak of nearly 25%.

The Labor Department said Friday that 20.5 million jobs van-ished in April in the worst monthly

loss on record, triggered by the coast-to-coast shutdowns of fac-tories, stores, offices and other businesses.

The breathtaking collapse is certain to intensify the push-pull across the U.S. over how and when to ease stay-at-home restrictions. And it robs President Donald Trump of the ability to point to a strong economy as he runs for reelection.

“The jobs report from hell is here,” said Sal Guatieri, senior

economist at BMO Capital Markets, “one never seen before and unlikely to be seen again barring another pandemic or meteor hitting the Earth.”

Worldwide, the virus has infected at least 3.9 million people and killed more than 270,000, including more than 76,000 in the U.S., accord-ing to a tally by Johns Hopkins University based on official data. White House officials announced that Vice President Mike Pence’s

press secretary has the coronavirus, the second person at the complex known to test positive this week, and said safety protocols were being stepped up.

The unemployment report indi-cated that the vast majority of those laid off in April — roughly 75% — consider their job loss temporary, a result of businesses that were forced to close suddenly but hope

US unemployment at Depression levelsLabor Department says more than 20 million jobs lost in April

See JOBS, A4