Maria Horn

Safety is a concept that is carrying a lot of weight these days.  Once reserved for very particular situations, we have now been inquiring generally about each other’s safety for months now, with emphasis on our personal health, and the health of our families, as well as broad statistics on the overall health of our communities, state, and other parts of the country. 

Over the last week, the idea of safety has expanded to include threats of violence.  Many of my colleagues in Hartford have raised concerns, given general reports of potential further attacks on Washington and state capitals throughout the country. This morning’s many zoom calls (I was on three at one point today) included a briefing from the Capitol Police in Hartford, who have made extensive plans to keep us safe in the coming days.  Hearing directly from the Chief of the Capitol Police gave comfort to all of us on the call. 
 
And safety increasingly includes access to the COVID vaccine, the distribution of which enters Phase 1b on Monday.  As you can read more fully below, Phase 1b will expand to include anyone over 65, those with underlying conditions, and frontline essential workers.  Those 75 and above can now make an appointment to get the vaccine.
 
Stay safe. 

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• Vaccine Update. 
• Governor announces proposal to expand broadband access. 
• Women's Bi-partisan Caucus Town Hall 

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus and click the link that is labeled, “Data Tracker.”
 
 Vaccine Update
 
Connecticut’s Phase 1B COVID-19 vaccine roll-out will begin on Monday, January 18, 2021. Residents aged 75 and older can now begin scheduling appointments to receive the vaccine.

The State announced today that in the coming weeks, Phase 1B will expand to include:

• Residents between the ages of 64 and 74 
• Residents between the ages of 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions which put them at greater risk for contracting COVID-19

This expansion will occur as the vaccine supply increases and as a significant portion of individuals over the age of 75 receive the vaccine.
 
If you are over the age of 75, you can now make an appointment to get the vaccine, utilizing the following tools:
 
Torrington Area Health Department: Those who are at least 75 years old can fill out a short form on the Torrington Area Health Department (TAHD) website and TAHD will register them.  They will receive an email which will allow them to make an appointment to get vaccinated.  (Note:  each person registering must have a unique email address – the same email address cannot be used to register multiple people.  An example would be if you and your spouse are both registering, you cannot use one shared email address). Here is the link to the page on their site, which has lots of other helpful information:  https://www.tahd.org/covid-19-vaccine-survey-form.html
 
Healthcare Provider: Many residents have already been or will be contacted to schedule an appointment by their healthcare provider if their provider is participating in the state’s vaccine program. Not all providers are administering the vaccine. A list of participating providers is available at ct.gov/covidvaccine. Residents are urged to not contact their physician or healthcare provider directly for COVID vaccine appointments. You will either be contacted by your physician or you can schedule an appointment online.
 
Online: Go to at ct.gov/covidvaccine to register and schedule an appointment through the web-based Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS). Many providers can be accessed through the VAMS system including:

• Trinity Health of New England (hospitals and other locations) 
• Griffin Hospital 
• Nuvance Health 
• Stamford Hospital 
• Bristol Hospital 
• Local Health Departments 
• Federally Qualified Health Centers 

Telephone: Those without internet access can call Connecticut’s COVID Vaccine Appointment Assistance Line at 877-918-2224. The line will take calls on Mondays through Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
 
As a reminder, this is an ever-changing situation with updates coming in every hour. I will continue to pass along updates and key information as soon as it becomes available.
 
In the meantime, to protect yourself, family and friends, please continue to follow state and local safety guidelines including wearing a mask, social distancing and frequent hand washing. If we continue to follow these steps and get people vaccinated, we will finally be able put an end to the pandemic.
 
Governor announces proposal to expand broadband access

Yesterday Governor Lamont previewed a bill he will offer next month to increase the reach of high-speed internet across the state.  We await the final details, but his proposal includes topics I have been advocating (and a bill I have already proposed), including requiring telecom companies to build out universal broadband access, promoting economic development and protecting consumers. 
You can find a little more detail in this Hartford Courant article. I will provide more when they become available, as it’s a critical piece of potential legislation for our community and many others across the state.
 
Women’s Bi-partisan Caucus Town Hall for small business on January 15
 
 After discussions with the Women’s Business Development Council, the Women’s Bi-partisan Caucus has organized a Town Hall for small business on January 15 at 3:00pm.   

The Webinar holds 1,000 registered participants, and it is first come basis.  The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) will also be broadcasting it live on the WBDC Facebook Page and we have asked CTN to cover it as well so that a wider audience has access to the information.
 
Also, please remember that while we want to encourage and educate more women to apply for these programs, this Webinar is open to everyone!
 
Providing information to Connecticut residents
 
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also subscribe to text message alerts from the state by texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.
 
Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance. Anyone who is out-of-state or requires a toll-free number can connect to Connecticut 2-1-1 by dialing 1-800-203-1234. This is intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms are strongly urged to contact their medical provider.