Kate Farrar

Tonight, Wednesday, December 1st, continues my monthly Community Office Hours at Faxon Branch Library from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

With the holiday season underway, it is important that we all continue to wear masks, get vaccinated or boosted, and get tested for the virus and stay home if we are feeling sick. 

All adults are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot. Studies have found that the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine drops about 6 months after the second dose is administered for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The Hartford Courant recently conducted an analysis comparing rates of vaccination to new COVID-19 cases. According to the analysis, Connecticut municipalities with less than 60% of fully vaccinated residents experienced a median rate of 26.4 daily cases per 100,000 residents. Municipalities with over 70% of fully vaccinated residents reported a median rate of 13.8 cases per 100,000. 

The vaccine is one of the best tools in our arsenal to limit community spread of COVID-19 and protect against severe infection.

The West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District is offering Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, boosters, and additional doses for adults 18 and up on Wednesday, December 1 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Conard High School, 110 Beechwood Road. 

Pre-registration is not required. Make sure to bring your vaccination card, identification and insurance card. If you lost or forgot your vaccination card, a new one will be provided. 

For additional vaccine clinics in our community, please visit the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District web site here. 

For additional vaccine resources and information, please visit the CT COVID-19 vaccine portal here.

On Monday, I joined my colleagues in the legislature's Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committee for an informational hearing with the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy to discuss updates to our state's coordinated workforce strategy and how our state can partner with industry leaders, educational institutions, and community members for our state's economic recovery from the pandemic and its future growth. In our legislative session earlier this year, we passed into law many of the building blocks of this strategy. Read more about the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy's goals here. 

Last week, the commission unanimously approved the state Senate redistricting plan. The vote on the Senate map is the second of three maps - Connecticut's Congressional map will be next. The commission will seek an extension from the Connecticut Supreme Court to continue working on it after the November 30th deadline. This extension has been granted in previous cycles and will provide the time necessary to reach a bipartisan agreement. 

The redistricting process happens once every decade to ensure our state legislative and congressional districts follow the guiding principle of one person, one vote so each vote carries the same weight.

Read more about this process here.

Sincerely,

Kate Farrar
State Representative
she/her/hers