2/11/21 Newsletter

vaccine
February 11, 2021
Vaccine Update
I’m excited to announce that Connecticut residents aged 65 to 74 can now begin booking appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are 65 to 74 years old, you can now book your appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through the state’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line (877-918-2224) or you can book an appointment through the state’s online central system or VAMS.
 
COVID 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.
 
 
Women in Small Business Round Table Discussion Event 
Please join me and my fellow legislators, Rep. McCarthy Vahey, Rep. Devlin and Sen. Hwang, in a discussion with the CEO of the Women's Business Development Council (WBDC), Fran Pastore, about women-owned small businesses on February 16th at 5PM.

This discussion will highlight the services and recent initiatives of the WBDC, including the Equity Match Grant and Childcare programs. Additionally, we will walk business owners through the federal COVID-19 relief bill,  the Payment Protection Program application and upcoming programs. 
 
Legislative Priority Survey
The 2021 Legislative Session began on January 6th. This session, we will be working on a variety of legislation to help Connecticut during these unprecedented times. Many of these bills will affect your family and our district, which is why it is so important for me to hear directly from you what your top priorities are. I hope you will take a few minutes to complete this survey so that I can better represent our district at the state capitol.
 
Click Here to Take the Survey
 
New Online Business Portal
Connecticut’s online business portal – business.ct.gov – launched in the summer of 2020 with the goal of providing the state’s entrepreneurs with a one-stop-shop to easily find information and quickly create a checklist with everything required to start up or manage a business in the state.
 
 Governor Ned Lamont announced that the State of Connecticut’s online business portal – business.ct.gov – continues to add more features that will make it easier for entrepreneurs to find information and services that aid in the process of starting or managing their businesses in Connecticut. Using feedback gathered from entrepreneurs, the state has continued to customize this one-stop-shop experience for users.
 
Some of the newly added features during this most recent update include:
  • Resource Center: A customizable resource center that centralizes 170 different programs from multiple sectors and disciplines; providing financial, technical, and equity-based support programs for business owners in any stage of their business lifecycle. 
  • Business Dashboard: When users log in, they will see a new dashboard that will cut down on the time needed to find crucial business information.
  • Connecticut COVID-19 Content: Users will be able to find the latest updates on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic right from the dashboard.

I hope these resources will benefit the local businesses of Fairfield and Southport, and throughout Connecticut. 
 
Anti-Racism Speaker Series
Throughout the next four weeks please join the Pequot Library, Fairfield Museum and History Center, Fairfield Yabantu, and Unquowa School in important conversations about anti-racism within our community. 

If we want see an end to systemic racism, we need to educate ourselves on how society perpetrates this racism and the role we can play to end it. 
 
Mental Health Resources
The prolonged isolation resulting from the pandemic is wearing on us all. Please know that you are not alone and that brighter days do lie ahead. If you are feeling unusually lonely, anxious, sad, or otherwise out of sorts, please know that there are many resources available as we continue to navigate this difficult time. 
 
Good News Corner
Money for Fairfield Elementary Schools
I am pleased to report that Fairfield will receive $1,271,526 in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER II) as part of the second CARES act that passed in December 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the educational system and on the well-being of all students and educators across Connecticut and the entire country.

This round of funding will be helpful to support our students, teachers, and schools and also ease the financial burden on our local school districts and towns.

For more details on these funds, please follow this link. 
 
Fairfield Students & CT Sustainability Students
Host PPE Clean-Up
Two local youth led groups - The Sustainable Fairfield Students and The Sustainable Youth CT - took part in a Town wide Disposable Mask/PPE Clean-Up effort on Saturday, February 3rd in Fairfield.

The effort was organized by Volunteers from the Mill River Wetland Committee Mill River Wetland Committee, Inc. and Fairfielders Protecting Land and Neighborhoods (FairPLAN). This mammoth effort, led by the students, tackled commercial parking lots along Post Road, Black Rock Turnpike and Grasmere Avenue.
The goal of the cleanup was to raise awareness of waste polluting the community and to encourage individuals to properly dispose of single-use face masks, gloves and sanitary wipes. Many types of surgical masks contain plastics that taint ecosystems and disrupt marine food chains. The demand for PPE is expected to stay at an elevated level, with an estimated annual increase of 20 percent in the production of single-use face masks between 2020 and 2025. 

These are staggering and worrying statistics, which is why we hope that this undertaking by these environmental groups and the kids will inspire others to take action and prevent PPE pollution!