COVID Update 2.3

February 3, 2021

My home office “security system” consists mostly of a collection of multi-hued post-it notes on the back of my door. My home office is next to the kitchen, the noisy hub of family life, and it contains the only printer and most reliably available office supplies and chargers, so sometimes I have to mark my boundaries in order to concentrate on the business at hand.  If you look closely at my background on those Zoom calls, you can see a bunch of post-its on my door, which let my family know the level of security I’m hoping for. 
 

That’s a light version of “security”, but I’ve had a couple of other reminders about more serious issues in the past week.  One relates to internet security.  Many of you (including my husband) have shared phishing attempts to steal personal information via text or email.  In my husband’s case, he received a text from someone who knew part of his social security number, and claimed to be reaching out to protect him from fraud: he recognized it to be a scam, and reported it to the Federal Trade Commission here.  I’ve heard from several of you in recent weeks who shared similar stories. If you receive that kind of suspect communication – anyone asking for private information, or asking you to click on a link - please consider reporting it to the FTC, and to your local police department. 
 
Another part of home security is about having a roof over your head.  A recent article in the Hartford Courant listed the top 10 towns in CT where home sale prices rose the most in 2020: three of those towns were in the 64th District, with Salisbury topping the list.  That’s strong evidence of the desirability of living here in our beautiful part of the world, but it’s also a warning flag about housing costs, which have gone up dramatically, pricing some of our neighbors out of homes they’ve lived in all their lives.  It’s a serious problem, and I hope we can all work together in all of our towns to facilitate the creation and availability of housing at a range different price points to ensure everyone can continue to afford to live in the town they call home.  I would love to hear from you about how this is affecting you and your family.
 

Here’s a list of today’s topics:

  • Vaccine Administration Update. Click here.
  • Black History Month. Click here
  • National Gun Violence Survivor's Week. Click here.  
  • Free Suicide Prevention Training. Click here.
  • Norfolk Historical Society. Click here
  • COVID Alerts. Click here.
  • DMV Update. 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 6 0 634 7
Cornwall 38 0 1,661 45
Goshen 113 1 3,580     136
Kent 113 0 5,419 126
Norfolk 58 0 1,725     66
North Canaan 169 8 7,044 186
Salisbury 105 0 8,172 124
Sharon 76 1 3,741     110
Torrington 2,558 124 66,409 3,110

 Governor Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz joined a recent roundtable with legislators and education officials where they discussed making the courses a requirement rather than optional.

During the debate on this bill in 2019, I was deeply moved by the testimony of some of my colleagues in the legislature about how their own educational experiences, as well as that of their children and grandchildren, ignored the history and unique contributions of black Americans, and I look forward to these courses allowing students from all backgrounds to learn more fully about the rich fabric of American society.
 
AnchorNational Gun Violence Survivor’s Week
 
This week is National Gun Violence Survivor’s Week, with advocacy groups highlighting the resilience of America’s gun violence survivors, who, despite experiencing incredible trauma, are leading work on the ground to support other survivors and advocating for common-sense measures that save lives. The centerpiece of National Gun Violence Survivors Week is Moments That Survive, a year-round digital storytelling site and campaign in which Americans across the country share details of their experiences, in their own words.
 
By early February, more people are killed with guns in the United States than are killed with guns in other high-income countries in an entire year. All told, 58 percent of American adults, including 68 percent of Black and Hispanic Americans, are survivors of gun violence, either experiencing gun violence themselves or caring for someone who has experienced gun violence in their lifetimes.

For more details:
National Gun Violence Survivor’s Week
Monday, Feb. 1— Sunday, Feb. 7, 2020
 

AnchorNorfolk Historical Society – Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios Feb. 20 at 4:00 pm via Zoom

 On February 20, 2021 at 4:00 PM, the Norfolk Historical Society is hosting a Zoom event on Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios featuring special guest Valerie Balint. Valerie's newly published guidebook is the perfect "arm chair" travel guide for 2021. This talk, part of Winter Weekend In Norfolk, will highlight some of the more unique artist homes across the country.
 
The Zoom link will be posted on the Norfolk Historical Society website prior to the event.
 
AnchorState officials encourage Connecticut residents to sign-up and receive important COVID-19 alerts and updates via text, email, and phone
 
State officials in Connecticut are encouraging residents to sign-up for the state’s COVID-19 alert and update system, which provides important updates related to the pandemic, including updates about outbreaks, testing, and the vaccine rollout. In addition to receiving messages from state officials, town officials are now able to also use this system to notify residents with targeted messages.
 
Residents can sign up through text, email, or phone by:
 

  • Texting the keyword COVIDCT to 888-777
  • Following the instructions online at ct.gov/covidupdates

Connecticut Residents can now renew their Driver’s Licenses and Non-Driver IDs 

Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of new services at the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that will enable residents to renew their driver’s licenses and non-driver ID cards online without having to visit an office in-person. The announcement is part of Governor Lamont’s broader initiative to modernize state government and add more convenience for residents by making services available online.
 
The DMV’s new online renewal option has already been offered to residents whose driver’s license or non-driver ID expired within the last 45 days. As part of the soft-launch of the new service during the last two months, more than 20,000 individuals have already successfully renewed online.
 
Eligible residents will receive an invitation by postal mail or email to complete their transaction online and make an electronic payment via credit or debit card. Upon successful completion of the online renewal, the license or non-driver ID will be received by mail within 20 days.
 
The department’s efforts to modernize and expand online services to allow more credential holders in the state to safely and securely apply, renew, reinstate, and pay for credentials more efficiently became more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, it moved to an appointment-only system, which helped reduce wait times and kept residents safe.
 
The DMV has also launched two new services with the goal of making it easier for commercial driver’s license holders to complete DMV transactions more easily online and via mobile devices.
 
The Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) Portal serves as a “one-stop shop” for the carrier industry (trucking companies) to complete transactions. In addition, the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Medical Certificate Portal gives these drivers the option of electronically sending their medical certificates directly to the DMV’s Driver Services Division from their mobile device.
 
All of the DMV’s services can be found online by visiting ct.gov/dmv.

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.
 
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.