FALL RIVER “We’re a healthier company,” Thomas Carroll said with nary a hint of irony.
The president of Paramedic Systems Inc., parent company of Alert Ambulance Service Inc. of Fall River, says a $1.9 million Payroll Protection Program loan from the federal government in 2020 spurred job growth within the privately held company.
Carroll said the workforce at Alert Ambulance Service has nearly doubled during the past 10 months from 350 workers before the onslaught of COVID-19 to at least 650 employees since it was declared a national emergency last March.
As many as 220 of those new hires have been registered nurses. Carroll said many of those RNs were previously laid off at hospitals and clinics.
NEW BEDFORD As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the city is offering another free testing site for residents.
For a limited time, the parking lot at New Bedford Regional Airport is open for drive-through testing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tests are provided on a first-come, first-served basis as no appointment is required. The site opened Tuesday but will not be offering testing Wednesday or Thursday this week due to anticipation of inclement weather, according to a press release from city public information officer Jon Carvalho.
This site is open to New Bedford residents only. Proper identification will be required at the drive-up site. Those receiving a test should proceed to the site on the Shawmut Avenue side only. According to Carvalho, testing will not impact airport operations and the terminal will open to passengers and normal flight operations as planned.