Maria Horn

The topic I hear about most frequently at the moment is vaccinations: specifically, finding and making appointments, which remains a frustrating, and increasingly complicated, process, despite the fact that vaccines are becoming more widely available.  Up until recently, vaccine eligibility (and priority) was determined solely be age, with only a few special access groups, including health care workers, nursing home residents, and teachers.  Now that everyone in Connecticut aged 16 and over is eligible, the state is moving to address some inequities: racial, economic, medical, and geographic.  Certain zip codes with higher percentages of vulnerable residents were prioritized, special clinics were set up for first responders, people with disabilities, and seniors who hadn’t yet been vaccinated.  People with particular medical conditions were given special access.  Addressing those inequities is critically important, but it has certainly complicated the process, particularly in our rural area where convenient access (or, at times, any kind of meaningful access) has been a challenge.  A lack of clear guidelines, compounded with changing information about how to sign up, or what kind of vaccine will be offered, have caused additional anxiety. 
 
We do still expect a mobile vaccine unit in the Northwest corner on April 14 (North Canaan) and April 15 (Winsted), but the details are still being confirmed, with a site visit scheduled for North Canaan on Friday.  It’s important to remember that these are only a small part of the picture, and that there remain other options in our region, so I encourage everyone looking to be vaccinated to cast a wide net, including calling 211 or the Torrington Area Health Department; checking online with Vaccine Finder, VAMS, CVS, Walgreen’s, Rite Aid, or Stop & Shop. Our town social service directors are also a wealth of information.  Several people have also recommended to me a Facebook group, NY/CT Vaccine Hunters & Angels, which can be found here.
 
And, as always, please let me know how it is going for you. 

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• COVID Vaccine Clinic for Veterans. Click here.
• Help Small Businesses Through SCORE and SBA. Click here. 
• Grants Available to Artists. Click here.
• Grants to Improve School Security. 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.”
 

Specific Updates for Our Community

 

Town	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Number of Tests	Number of Positive Tests
Canaan	11	0	768	16
Cornwall	46	0	2,093	54
Goshen	139	1	4,773	170
Kent	156	0	10,073	188
Norfolk	62	0	2,156	72
North Canaan	191	8	9,450	213
Salisbury	136	0	10,966	162
Sharon	104	1	5,042	142
Torrington	3,213	135	84,598	3,913

 COVID-19 vaccine walk-in clinic for veterans, their spouses, and caregivers on Sunday April 11
 
The Federal VA Healthcare System in CT is holding a COVID-19 vaccine walk-in clinic this Sunday April 11 at the State Department of Veterans Affairs Campus in Rocky Hill.  No appointment necessary and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System has expanded eligibility to include the following persons:

1. Anyone who served in the U.S. Military whether or not they are enrolled in the VA healthcare system
2. Spouses of Veterans
3. Caregivers of Veterans

  
Should you have any questions, please feel free to direct them to Tammy.Marzik@ct.gov, the Manager of Intergovernmental & Community Affairs at the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.

Volunteer to help small businesses through SCORE and the Small Business Administration
 
SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, and a partner of the Small Business Administration (SBA), is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Right now, SCORE Connecticut is looking for volunteers with backgrounds and experiences as diverse as the small business owners they serve. 
 
If you have business experience that you’d like to share to help others, please consider signing up as a SCORE volunteer.  You can get started by submitting a SCORE volunteer application.
SCORE offers many types of volunteering opportunities. Choose the opportunity that best suits your expertise, interests and availability:

• Mentor: Use your industry-based knowledge and expertise to help business owners who are looking for guidance
• Subject Matter Expert: Collaborate with experienced mentors to offer advice in your specific area of expertise
• Workshop Presenter: Educate through giving presentations on specific small business topics
• Chapter Support: Assist with marketing, finance, scheduling and other key support tasks
• Diversity Leader: Make SCORE services more accessible by local small business owners in underserved segments.

The SCORE team is currently operating virtually, to ensure the safety of our volunteers and community.

Artist "Get Ready" and COVID Resilience Grants
 
CERF+ serves artists who work in craft disciplines by providing a safety net to support strong and sustainable careers. Since 2017, CERF+’s Get Ready Grants have awarded up to $500 to individual artists to conduct activities that will help safeguard studios, protect careers and prepare for emergencies. In response to the continuing changes that artists are making as a result of COVID-19, this cycle they will also be supporting artists in acquiring career skills and business assets required in the current and post-pandemic creative economy. ​Artists are encouraged to use the Risk Assessment activity to generate ideas.
 
This cycle will begin accepting applications on March 31st and will close on April 21, 2021. Priority will be given to Black, Indigenous, People of Color and folk and traditional artists. For more information, check the CERF+ website.
 
State grants to improve school security infrastructure and emergency communications systems
 
Connecticut is opening new rounds of funding under two state grant programs that will help with the costs associated with implementing needed security infrastructure improvements and upgrades to emergency communications systems at schools throughout Connecticut.
 
Administered by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in collaboration with the State Department of Education, the School Security Competitive Grant Program and the newly launched Multi-Media Interoperable Communications System Program are open to public and private K-12 schools, and eligible childcare centers and preschools that can demonstrate they have received threats.
 
A total of $10 million has been allocated across both programs:
 
Applications are now being accepted, with the first part due to the state by 3:00 p.m. on June 15, 2021 and the second part due by June 30, 2021. Applications will be ranked and awarded based on the demonstrated need for security improvements.
 
For more information and to submit an application for either grant program, visit portal.ct.gov/DEMHS/Grants/School-Security-Competitive-Grant-Program.
 
 
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.