1/27/21 Newsletter: Vaccine Update, Women's Business Grants & COVID Update

February 26, 2021
If you’ve ever stopped to wonder why Holocaust Remembrance Day is necessary, the sight of insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol three weeks ago would be all you need to know that we can #NeverForget.

Shirts with “Camp Auschwitz” and “6MWE” (six million wasn’t enough), are stark reminders highlighting that our job as Americans, as human beings, is to stand against fascism, Nazis, and yes, Proud Boys. It’s not political. Human rights never should be.

The hardest day when I ran in 2018 was the day after the shooting at the Temple in Pittsburgh. The mezuzahs on door after door made it feel like I was knocking that day in remembrance of those lost souls. There is no casual anti-semitism. So there can be no casual response to it.

Today, we remember, because we must. Because hate isn’t part of history. And in the here and now, we must speak with one voice, “Never again.”
Below I have provided information about the most recent COVID-19 update, a recent vaccine update, the Equity Match Grant Program, and information regarding testimony for this virtual legislative session. 
 

COVID-19 Update 

The following is a summary of the day-to-day newly reported data on cases, deaths, and tests in Connecticut. It is important to note that these newly reported updates include data that occurred over the last several days to a week. All data in this report are preliminary, and data for previous dates will be updated as new reports are received and data errors are corrected.
 

COVID Vaccine Update 

As our state continues to rollout the COVID-19 vaccination, I wanted to provide you with information as to how you can monitor eligibility and where to go to register and schedule an appointment when the time comes.
 
Where To Find Information:
Currently, residents 75 and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Health officials expect to start scheduling appointments for people between the ages of 65 and 74 in early February. To monitor the rollout phase schedule and eligibility criteria, as well as to schedule an appointment, please visit: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/covid-19%20vaccinations. 
 
This information changes frequently and where you will see the most updated information available.
 
Schedule an Appointment
Where To Schedule Your Appointment:
There are a variety of healthcare systems across the state you can contact to make an appointment. Many providers can be accessed through the VAMS scheduling system including: 1) Trinity Health of New England (hospitals and other locations); 2) Bristol Hospital; 3) Hartford Healthcare 4) UCONN Health (my chart) 5) Local Health Departments or 6) Federally Qualified Health Centers.
 
How To Schedule Your Appointment:
You can register when you are eligible through these options:
  1. CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) & The Connecticut Department of Public Health‘s CT VAMS portal.
    Apply through VAMS portal here
      1. CT Vaccine Hotline: (877) 918-2224 or 2-1-1. 
        • NOTE: The line will take calls on Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will offer a call-back option when all contact specialists are busy serving other callers. The team will aim to return calls as soon as possible, with the goal of same-day response 
       

      Virtual Session Testimonies

      As we all begin to navigate the upcoming virtual legislative session, I wanted to provide with you with the resources to ensure your voice is heard. Though COVID-19 has closed the State Capitol and Legislative Office Building to the public, you can still testify and participate in public hearings from your home.

      Below, I have outlined the steps to testify at a public hearing: 
       

      1. Review the bulletin daily and check to see which committees are having public hearings. 
       

      2. Use the “On-line Testimony Registration Form” link in the notice to register to testify. You can also call the number listed if you do not have access to the internet.

          *Make sure you have noted the bill or resolution number(s) you plan to testify on because you will need that to complete the form.
       

      3. If you’re registering online, you’ll be taken to the Webinar registration page for the hearing at which you would like to testify. Make sure to review the details of the hearing closely to confirm that you are registering for the correct hearing.
       

      4. You will need to scroll down to find the registration form. The form requests the same information that committee staff would ask you if you were signing up to testify in-person.
       

      5. Once you submit the form, you’ll receive a pending approval notice to the email address you included in the form. Make sure to keep the information in this notice handy.

      6. Within 24 hours, after you have registered to testify, you will receive an email confirming that you have signed up for the hearing. If you need to cancel, there is the “cancel” link in the bottom left corner.

         *Please note that there is a deadline to register to testify. You can find the exact time and date that registration closes for a particular hearing listed in the bulletin.
       

      7. On the morning of the hearing, a speaker list will be generated and posted on the committee page. Go to “Public Hearings” and click “testimony” and select the hearing date. In the right corner, there will be a document labeled “Speaker Order.” Click to open and find your placement.
       

      8. Make sure to log onto Zoom before the hearing starts and turn off camera/microphone until it is your turn. You will have to wait to speak as if you are sitting in a hearing room.
       

      9. You can monitor the hearing on CT-N or on CT-N’s Youtube channel.
      You have the ability to affect change through testimony at public hearings. I hope that everyone will use the resource outlined above to share your stories. Lawmakers are looking forward to hearing your voice. 

      As always, if you are not interested in testifying, but you have a story to be told, please contact me at Eleni.KavrosDeGraw@cga.ct.gov so I may advocate on your behalf. 
       

      Equity Match Grant Program
      Research shows that an overwhelming majority of the more than 60,000 Connecticut businesses that secured federal loans for COVID-19 relief were male or white-owned:78 percent were male-owned; 84 percent were white-owned; seven percent were Asian-owned; six percent were Hispanic-owned; and three percent were Black-owned. Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, the Women’s Business Development Council, and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development today announced a new COVID-19 relief program designed to provide much-needed cash grants to women entrepreneurs disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. 
       
      The Equity Match Grant Program, which will be administered by the Women’s Business Development Council through its Opportunity Fund, will aid entrepreneurs in accessing the capital needed to establish banking relationships, improve credit, and overcome challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
       
      Together, Lt. Governor Bysiewicz and Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council, raised $525,000 in funds. The State will match the funds up to $500,000, bringing the total amount of funds available in the Equity Match Grant Program to more than $1 million. 
       
      Funds from the Equity Match Grant Program can be used to purchase critical business assets such as the personal protective equipment needed to comply with reopening guidelines, or to pivot to an online business model which will help the company increase revenue and improve its cash flow. 
       
      Grants between $2,500 and $10,00 may be given for clearly defined projects that will have a measurable impact on the business. Applicants are required to provide a 25% match.  
       
      To qualify to apply for an Equity Match Grant businesses should: 
      • Be a woman-owned business; 
      • Have prior participation in WBDC programs or services; 
      • Be in business with a record of sales for a minimum of one year;  
      • Be registered in Connecticut and in good standing with the state; 
      • Utilize an online or automated financial system; 
      • Have an established business-banking relationship. 
      Apply for the Equity Match Grant Program Here
      To learn more about the Equity Match Grant Program and receive updated funder information, contact microgrants@ctwbdc.org.