Maria Horn

Happy April!  This year we’re celebrating the start of “the cruelest month” with opening day for Major League Baseball, the UConn women’s Final Four game against Arizona tomorrow, and the expansion of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine to the final group of adults, including all individuals between the ages of 16 and 44.  That is welcome news, but also calls for patience as I’m certain getting appointments will be challenging at first.  This is particularly true for those aged 16 to 18, as some vaccines are not recommended for that group yet, and some sites are still not accepting appointments for that age group.  Please let me know how it is going from your perspective. Please see updated details below re the mobile van coming to North Canaan and Winsted later in April. 

 
The end of March also brings, for most committees, the expiration of what is called our “JF deadline” which means the date by which bills have to be voted favorably out of committee if they are going to live on this session.  For the most complex and difficult bills, that committee vote often does not mark the end of the negotiation process.  If you watch a committee meeting, you will sometimes hear a legislator say they want to “flag the issue” because they hope or expect further conversations on a bill that may change its terms before a vote in either the House or the Senate.  Sometimes a committee chair will explicitly state that a bill is a “work in progress” making it clear that further revisions will take place.
 
One of the most important, and challenging, bills voted favorably out of committee this week was the “Bottle Bill,” which seeks to update and modernize Connecticut’s bottle redemption program by increasing the redemption value from 5 to 10 cents per container, increasing the handling rate paid to redemption centers (both set nearly 40 years ago), and expanding the types of bottles and cans included in the program.  Newly included in this legislation are wine and liquor bottles, but because package stores often do not have adequate floor space to hold redeemed containers (among other challenges), rather than imposing a mandate that wasn’t workable, we opted instead to require the interested stakeholders (representing package stores, and wine and liquor distributors, for example) to meet and come up with a plan to address the shared goal of getting these containers out of single-stream recycling, and out of roadsides and parks.  In this case the “work in progress” was explicitly baked into the bill. 
 
To those who celebrate, I wish you and your family a Happy Easter this weekend.  This is the first year that my husband and I can remember not having any of our kids home for the holiday, so I had to settle for mailing Easter packages to them (even “kids” in their twenties appreciate a little Easter chocolate, particularly when it’s from Thorncrest Farm in Goshen).

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• Updated on Mobile Vaccination Unit Coming to North Canaan and Winsted. Click here.
• Vaccine Eligibility Expands to Include All Adults 16 and Up. Click here.
• More than 100 additional pharmacies to Begin Offering Vaccinations. Click here.
• Renters Rebate Program is Now Open. Click here. 
• Bridging Divides, Healing Communities Speaker Series to Tackle Race, Social Cohesion and Media’s Role in Polarized Times. Click here. 

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.”

Update on mobile vaccination unit coming to North Canaan and Winsted: dates have changed

Please note that the dates for the mobile vaccination unit’s arrival in North Canaan and Winsted have switched: the van will be in North Canaan on April 14, and in Winsted on April 15. The vaccine administered will be the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and DPH is tentatively planning to use the North Canaan location as a hub for other towns in the region.  The Department of Public Health is working on ways to ensure that appointments go to residents of the Northwest corner (this has been a problem at other sites).  I have recommended that they continue to coordinate with town social service directors in order to accomplish that goal.  Other details are likely to be released approximately one week before that date. As soon as I know more, I will communicate those details.

 

Data updates on variants in Connecticut

 

The following data contains the cumulative number of SARS-CoV-2 variants that have been reported among Connecticut residents as of today:

 

Variants of concern

 

• B.1.1.7 (first detected in the United Kingdom): 469 cases
• B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa): 6 cases*
• P.1 (first detected in Brazil): 2 cases
• B.1.427 (first detected in California): 30 cases
• B.1.429 (first detected in California): 90 cases

 

Variants of interest

 

• B.1.526 (first detected in New York): 88 cases
• B.1.525 (first detected in Africa and Europe): 10 cases
• P.2 (first detected in Brazil): 7 cases

 

*B.1.351: The Department of Public Health reported 7 cases last week, the Global Initiative for Sharing Avian Influenza Data has 6 sequences reported to date.

 

For more information on variants, see page 7 of this week’s extended COVID-19 data report.

 

Weekly update on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes and assisted living facilities

The following documents contain the weekly data regarding each of the nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut that have reported positive cases of COVID-19 among their residents. The data is presented as it was reported to the state by each of the facilities.

 

 

Weekly update of the Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Alert Map: 146 of 169 municipalities in red zone alert level

The Connecticut Department of Public Health today released its weekly COVID-19 Alert Map, which indicates that 146 of 169 towns and cities in Connecticut are currently in the red zone alert level, the highest of the state’s four alert levels. Of the 13 towns in the gray zone, the lowest level, 6 are in the Northwest corner.  

 

The COVID-19 Alert Map is updated every Thursday afternoon and can be found within the Data Tracker page of the state’s coronavirus website at ct.gov/coronavirus.

 

Vaccine eligibility expands today to include all adults 16 and up  
 
As of today, the State of Connecticut has expanded its COVID-19 vaccination program to the final group of adults, including all individuals between the ages of 16 and 44. Individuals in this age group will have access to schedule appointments beginning today.
 
To schedule an appointment, Connecticut residents should visit ct.gov/covidvaccine and enter their zip code in the space provided. From there, they will be presented a list of the closest available clinics and instructions for how to make an appointment at each clinic. Those without access to the internet can call Connecticut’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224. The assist line is available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Appointments are required in advance at all vaccination clinics in the state.
 
Individuals who are 16 and 17 years old are reminded that they should only sign up for a clinic that is offering the vaccine made by Pfizer, as that is the only vaccine at this point that has been approved for those ages by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Please also note that minors (those 16-17) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If the parent or guardian is unable to accompany the minor, the parent/guardian will need to contact the provider scheduled to administer the vaccine to get direction on what will be needed to confirm adult consent for the vaccination. If a minor arrives at their appointment without a parent or guardian and the provider has not been consulted, the minor may not be able to be vaccinated.
 
Connecticut is currently ranked second in the nation in percentage of population that has received at least one dose.

More than one hundred additional pharmacies to begin offering vaccinations
 
More than 100 additional pharmacies throughout Connecticut will begin offering COVID-19 vaccines over the next several days, adding to the growing list of locations where the state’s residents can be vaccinated. Individuals are reminded that appointments must be made in advance prior to receiving the vaccine at all locations statewide.  Several of these pharmacies are located in Torrington, but no additional pharmacies in the Northwest Corner are on the list.  I have discussed this with the Department of Public Health, noting that many pharmacies in our area are independent pharmacies, so that conversation is ongoing. 
 
The new pharmacies that are being added to Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccination program include, among others throughout the state:

• Big Y Pharmacy: 504 Winsted Road, Torrington
• Brass City Pharmacy: 558 Chase Avenue, Waterbury
• Brass Mill Pharmacy: 1405 East Main Street Unit 3, Waterbury
• Health Complex Pharmacy: 55 Deforest Street, Watertown
• Petricones Torrington Pharmacy: 110 East Main Street, Torrington
• Rite Aid: 1030 Wolcott Street, Waterbury
• Rite Aid: 277 Fairfield Avenue, Waterbury
• Stolls Pharmacy: 185 Grove Street, Waterbury

Renters Rebate Program is Now Open
A reminder that the application period for Connecticut’s Renters’ Rebate Program begins today, April 1. For more information visit bit.ly/3m6clSQ or call 860.418.6377. 

Bridging Divides, Healing Communities Speaker Series to Tackle Race, Social Cohesion and Media’s Role in Polarized Times
 
All residents are invited to join a four-part speaker series exploring some of the forces and trends creating disparities and division, and how to take action locally to build common ground and solve problems together. Hosted by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, The Berkshire Eagle and Berkshire Bank, all sessions will be held virtually starting at 7 p.m. and are open to the public; registration is required.
 
Part 1 // Tuesday, April 13: “The Inclusive Future," with former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (N.Y.-19), moderated by Dr. Leticia Smith-Evans Haynes of Williams College.
 
Part 2 // Tuesday, April 20: “Moving from ‘I’ to ‘We’” with Harvard’s Dr. Robert D. Putnam (best-selling author of "Our Kids" and "Bowling Alone") and Shaylyn Romney Garrett, co-authors of "The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again."
 
Two additional sessions — on the role of the news and social media in a polarized age with ProPublica’s Alec MacGillis, and resident-led solutions underway around the region — will follow. Learn more and register at: www.BerkshireTaconic.org/Speakers
 
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.