Request Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests

January 20, 2022


 
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Dear Neighbor,

On Wednesday, I was happy to take a walk over to Conard High School to visit Principal Duarte, Assistant Principal Hines, and Career and Technical Education Supervisor Brian Cohen to see in-person the career and technical education pathways the school offers students. These options are vital in preparing all our students for the 21st century workforce.

Conard focuses on developing valuable skills from computer science and manufacturing to financial literacy and accounting to early childhood and culinary arts to help students thrive professionally after high school. 

Thank you to our teachers and staff (including Mr. Ferreira the head custodian I met today) for supporting our students each and every day.

 
COVID-19 UPDATE
The Town of West Hartford announced plans for another public distribution of N95 masks for West Hartford residents, weather dependent, on Saturday, January 22, 2022, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 100 Mayflower Street. Each vehicle will receive 10 masks. DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY. The town has enough masks for everyone. Please stay in your vehicle and follow the signs. The town acquired 230,000 adult N95 masks from the State of Connecticut last week and is now making them available to West Hartford residents. N95, KN95 and surgical masks offer greater protection from the Omicron variant than cloth face coverings.
 
U.S. households can now request 4 free at-home COVID-19 test kits through the United States Postal Service. Testing is a vital component in our country and state's fight against COVID-19. Expanding access to testing can help reduce community spread of the virus. 

To get your test kits, click the button below and complete the online form. It only takes five minutes. Your test kits will ship later this month. 

Order COVID-19 Test Kits
Please note that the tests available for ordering are rapid antigen at-home tests. They are not PCR tests.

If you or someone you know needs a COVID-19 test now, please visit Connecticut's coronavirus website here and enter your zip code in the box that says, "Find a COVID TESTING site." For a list of cost-free state-supported COVID-19 testing sites, please click here.

 
LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS
Although the 2022 legislative session does not begin until February 9th, we have any number of informational forums in advance to start discussing important issues. There are two upcoming forums with the Higher Education & Employment Advance Committee of which I'm a member. Today we will be holding a virtual forum via Zoom on the role of apprenticeships to expand access to good jobs - especially as our state begins to receive federal infrastructure dollars. The forum will be held virtually at 11:30 a.m. You can tune in to the discussion on the committee's YouTube channel here. For more information about the forum including a list of speakers, please visit the committee's website here.

The Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee will hold a forum on Student Loan Debt in the Time of COVID-19 on Thursday, January 27, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. via Zoom. The forum can be viewed via YouTube Live. The forum may also be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com

Individuals who wish to share their experiences with student debt and COVID-19 are invited to offer testimony during the forum. To comment via Zoom, please register using the Online Testimony Registration Form. Registration will close on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. 

 
STATE & LOCAL RESOURCES
January is National Blood Donor month. Across our country and state, blood banks are experiencing critical shortages and are pushing for donations from more diverse donors. Only 3% of the eligible population donates blood, and it's critical that everyone is represented to ensure the best possible match. Donors can save up to 3 lives by donating blood. If you want to help address the critically low blood supply, you can donate blood through the American Red Cross. Find blood drives and donation centers in Connecticut here.
 
A stretch of Berkshire Road between New Britain Avenue and Mildred Road in West Hartford will be closed temporarily through January 26 for the demolition of the I-84 overpass. The work is planned for the following times:
  • Wednesday, January 19: 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM
  • Thursday, January 20: 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
  • Friday, January 21: 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM
  • Monday, January 24: 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM
  • Tuesday, January 25: (Schedule pending)
  • Wednesday, January 26: 8:15-1:00 PM and alternating traffic from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

There will be pedestrian access through the site as needed. The West Hartford Police Department will be present to assist with the closure. For more information about the closure, please email Jim Brennan at James.Brennan@WestHartfordCT.gov or Leon Alford at Leon.Alford@ct.gov.

     
    As always, if I can be of assistance to you and your family, please reach out to me at 860-240-8585 or email me at Kate.Farrar@cga.ct.gov. Follow @KateforCT on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on everything I'm doing at the Capitol!

    Sincerely,

    Kate Farrar
    State Representative
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