Maria Horn

Did you know that tomorrow is National Superhero Day?  That’s a new one for me, but masks are definitely in fashion: it’s a perfect time to honor the superheroes in our community, and to activate the superhero in each of us.

The Tri-State Chamber of Commerce has organized Hearts on Tour, a car parade tomorrow, April 28 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm to show appreciation for those on the front lines of this pandemic.  The parade will begin at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, where people will meet starting at 12:30 to decorate their cars with hearts.  Starting at 1:00, the parade will go through Falls Village, North Canaan, Salisbury, and Sharon.  For more information on the parade route and specifics on timing, check out their website, https://tristatechamber.com/.  While you’re at it, check out all they do to support local business in the region. 
 
You can also support the staff at Sharon Hospital fighting to care for all their patients, including those with COVID-19 by keeping them well-fed during long shifts.  To participate, go to the Meal Train website and sign up for a date to donate a meal to 25 employees. Then call a local restaurant from the list of participating businesses and order/pay for the food! To make it more affordable, we encourage you to band together with members of various organizations in the area to donate a meal.
 
I was planning to include a link to a fund-raising effort to support the 60 employees of LaBonne's Market in Salisbury, who have been working twelve-hour days to keep the grocery store well stocked and safe during the pandemic, but they have already exceeded their fundraising goal, raising over $8,000 to give each staff member a bonus.  Organizer Leslie Rylee reported that the generous spirit carries forward, with the manager at LaBonne’s suggesting that future donations be directed to The Corner Food Pantry in Lakeville, which is in great need right now. You can make a donation to The Corner Pantry here:
https://www.thecornerfoodpantry.org/how_you_can_help.htm

There are lots of superheroes out there.  Some chose to become medical workers or first responders in order to save lives and protect their communities in spite of the increased risk to themselves. Others didn’t choose that path, but when the path chose them have risen to the occasion with generous and tireless hearts.   We owe all of them our gratitude, demonstrated best by emulating them in big and small ways every day.
 
To paraphrase one of my son’s favorite T-shirts, “Be the superhero your dog thinks you are.” 
 
Here’s a list of today’s topics:

• A Reminder to use the “How we Feel” app to improve COVID-19 response
• Governor Lamont partners with CBIA and CONNSTEP to distribute free face coverings for small businesses
• Residents encouraged to safely dispose of unwanted medication at home as an alternative to National Drug Takeback Day events
• Update on Unemployment
• Face Mask Giveaway

For several additional graphs and tables containing more data, including a list of cases in every municipality, visit ct.gov/coronavirus.
 

 
A Reminder to use the “How we Feel” app to improve COVID-19 response
 
Governor Lamont announced last week that the State of Connecticut was partnering with the developers of the How We Feel app in an effort to anonymously provide scientists with critical health information needed to understand the spread of COVID-19.
 
Available to download for free in the Apple App Store and the Google Play store, it is supported by a nonprofit organization and does not require logging in or the sharing of any personal details, such as name or email address. In addition to being available to download to mobile devices, users can also complete the survey through a web version available at howwefeel.app.
  
Whether you are healthy or sick, this general anonymous data, which takes about 30 seconds to provide (really), can scientists and public health professionals better spot emerging outbreaks early, identify new populations who are at risk, and measure the efficacy of public health measures such as social distancing.
 
Getting this data to the medical community as quickly as possible enables them to make faster decisions to help slow or contain the virus. When they have a better idea of who is sick, how sick they are, and where they are, there’s the potential to increase testing, deploy additional resources, and ultimately save lives.
 
Download the app now:
Apple App Store | Google Play Store
 
For more information, visit www.howwefeel.org or contact info@howwefeel.org.
 
 
Governor Lamont partners with CBIA and CONNSTEP to distribute free face coverings for small businesses
 
Governor Lamont announced that his administration is partnering with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) and its affiliate CONNSTEP on an initiative to distribute free face coverings to eligible, essential small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Eligible businesses include those defined as essential businesses by the Department of Economic and Community Development.
  
Eligible essential small businesses can request up to two free face coverings per employee by filling out the form found here.
 
Small businesses are strongly urged to create their own face coverings following CDC guidelines. This will ensure the limited supply of coverings go to small businesses that are struggling to secure their own supply.
 
Requested face coverings will be distributed next week through the municipality in which the business is located. The local municipality will then contact businesses with a date, time, and location to receive the requested masks. The distribution will continue while supplies last. The initiative is intended to help small businesses comply with the governor’s executive order requiring dace coverings to be worn whenever social distancing is not possible, including in essential businesses.
 
Residents encouraged to safely dispose of unwanted medication at home as an alternative to National Drug Takeback Day events
 
If not for COVID-19, thousands of Connecticut residents would have visited one of the nearly 100 drug drop boxes at police stations across the state to mark National Drug Takeback Day. This year, in light of the pandemic, residents are asked to avoid visiting the drug drop boxes, and take steps to secure, and clean out their medicine cabinets at home.
 
Here’s what residents can do:
 
·       Dispose of any unneeded medication at home by running it under hot water, combining it with something undesirable like used coffee grounds or kitty litter, securing it in a container, and disposing of it in the trash. Do not flush medication down the toilet.
·       Secure any of your expired or unneeded medication in a safe place so that it’s ready to go as soon as you’re able to visit a drug drop box again.
 
Last year, 59,058 pounds of unneeded medication were disposed of in drug drop boxes, an increase of more than 15,000 pounds from 2018.
 
For more information, read the press release issued today by the Department of Consumer Protection.
 
Update on Unemployment
 
Helping constituents with unemployment and accessing other relief programs is a lot of what my aide and I work on every day, so I wanted to remind you about a couple of things this week: 

• The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, which adds $600 to weekly state unemployment benefit payments began April 24, with checks expected to be arriving starting today.
• Everyone who has had their unemployment claim processed since the start of the pandemic will begin seeing the additional $600 weekly payment, with no separate application necessary.
• The $600 additional payment will be in effect March 29 through July 25. Those who received benefits since March 29 without the additional $600 will be provided the funds in a lump sum that will be given in about a week.
• Self-employed individuals and independent contractors, who are eligible for unemployment under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, or PUA, can apply for benefits beginning April 30.

Face Mask Giveaway
 
If you’re up for a car ride, a number of state-wide organizations have organized a drive thru face mask giveaway at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford (61 Savitt Way).  They will be operating tomorrow April 28, from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, with a limit of 5 masks per car.  
 
Governor Lamont encourages residents to sign up for the state’s CTAlert notification system
 
Governor Lamont is encouraging Connecticut residents to sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system, which provides text message notifications to users. To subscribe, text the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777.
 
Providing information to Connecticut residents
 
For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.
 
Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access. It intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.