Cristin McCarthy Vahey

Following a request from legislators, last week, Governor Lamont issued a letter notifying legislative leaders of his intent to call the Connecticut General Assembly into special session sometime in July to address access to voting during the November general election and to take immediate action on police accountability and transparency in light of the recent events in Minneapolis and around the country. Read the Governor's letter here.
 
The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy no one should be forced to choose between fear of becoming ill and safely casting a ballot. We must expand access to absentee balloting in the midst of the current public health crisis. This can be done while assuring the integrity of our elections. 

Last year I voted in support and the legislature passed a law that sought to increase police accountability and transparency. While this act was a step in the right direction, we know there is more we have to do to hold law enforcement accountable and ensure the criminal justice system operates without bias. 

The Fairfield Police Department shared this message on their Facebook page earlier today:

“The Town of Fairfield will no longer be utilizing CodeRed to issue emergency and community alerts to residents and business owners.

In order to continue receiving Emergency and Community alerts from the Town of Fairfield, you must sign up by following the instructions below:

1. Text FAIRFIELDCT to 888777.
2. Reply to the confirmation text with your zip code.
3. Reply to the text with your email address if you wish to get alerts via e-mail.
4. Follow the link in the reply text and click here. Click 'Register for Alerts' and create a profile to customize how and when you receive alerts.

If you prefer not to text, you may click here and click 'Register for Alerts.'

☎️ Individuals who do not have access to text devices or a computer, or would like assistance in registering, may call the Bigelow Center at (203) 256-3166.

The new system, a partnership with the State of Connecticut and Everbridge, requires you to manually sign up! Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to export contact information from the CodeRed system.

Additional details on this move can be found on the Town of Fairfield website."

Contact Tracing

An important aspect of both reopening and ongoing containment of the coronavirus is contact tracing. If you test positive for COVID-19, you will be contacted by public health officials, likely someone from our local health department, asking you to fill out a questionnaire to help protect your family, friends, co-workers, and the broader community. Participation is voluntary and there are no apps that are tracking your whereabouts or contacts with others.

There is a confidential platform being used by the state Department of Public Health and local health departments to share data across communities and assure we are stopping the chain of transmission. You can learn more about the state’s efforts here. This should not be confused with some of the tracking and tracing apps you are reading about in other states. If you are contacted by our public health professionals by email, phone or text asking you to fill out a questionnaire as a contact of someone who has tested positive, please do so. It is only by working together than we will stop this virus.

The plan is as follows:
Effective June 17:

• Indoor private gatherings – 25 people
• Outdoor gatherings – 100 people
• Outdoor event venues (e.g. amphitheaters, race tracks) – 25% of fire capacity and distancing (consistent with outdoor amusement parks)

Effective July 3:

• Indoor private gatherings – 25 people
• Outdoor private gatherings – 100 people, one time exception for graduations at 150 people
• Outdoor organized gatherings (e.g. fireworks, concerts in municipal parks) – 15 feet of space blanket to blanket, cap of 500 people; event organizer responsible for compliance with guidance
• Outdoor event venues (e.g. amphitheaters, race tracks) – 25% of fire capacity and distancing

Effective mid-July (date to be determined):

• Indoor private gatherings – 50 people
• Outdoor private gatherings (including graduations) – 250 people
• Outdoor organized gatherings (e.g. fireworks, concerts in municipal parks) – 15 feet of space blanket to blanket, no cap; event organizer responsible for compliance with guidance
• Outdoor event venues (e.g. amphitheaters, race tracks) – 50% of fire capacity and distancing

Previous Updates: