Governor Releases Three million COVID-19 Home Tests, Six Million N95 Masks for Residents, Public Schools
Connecticut Governor Ned LamontGovernor Ned Lamont today announced plans to distribute three million COVID-19 at-home rapid tests and six million N95 masks in Connecticut in an effort to help curb the spread of COVID-19 during this heavy travel and holiday season.
The first allocation will include the distribution of 500,000 iHealth kits – each containing two tests for a total of one million tests – that will be designated for the general public. Distribution of these kits is scheduled to begin on Thursday, December 30, 2021, and is expected to run through the following week. The Connecticut Department of Public Health, Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and Connecticut National Guard will oversee the distribution of the kits, with support from regional and local emergency management teams. This initiative also will include the distribution of N95 masks. State officials stress that details of the distribution of the kits and N95 masks are still being finalized and are subject to change this week.
In addition to those designated for the general public, the state has purchased another one million iHealth kits – each containing two tests for a total of two million tests – that will be distributed to K-12 schools statewide. Distribution of those kits, which will also include a supply of N95 masks, will begin in January and continue through the school year as supplies last. Planning for this initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education. More details on the distribution of tests for schools will be announced in early January.
The total cost of the three million tests is approximately $18.5 million and will be funded through federal funds.
“Connecticut is currently experiencing another surge in COVID-19 cases that is being driven mostly by the highly transmissible Omicron variant,” Governor Lamont said. “As a result, the demand for tests has outpaced the supply of testing available through our statewide network of about 400 sites. The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is likely to be a period of high transmission, and we have to get 2022 off to a good start by helping residents identify COVID-19 quickly and take those steps to isolate appropriately to curb any further spread.”
The governor added that the addition of these at-home tests will immediately expand the number of tests available in Connecticut in a very short period. Last week, about 250,000 tests were reported to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
“There are three simple and effective interventions to fight off the current surge of COVID-19 from the Omicron variant – vaccination, masking, and testing,” Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said. “We will be distributing two of these – masks and tests – so that our communities can work as quickly as possible to get past this surge. I strongly encourage people to limit gathering sizes during this holiday week. Because of the scarcity of these kits, I am asking the residents of our state to please take only the kits that you need for your immediate family so that we can distribute as many as possible to help flatten the Omicron curve. Per the CDC recommendations, if your self-test yields a positive result, please stay home or isolate for 10 days and wear a mask. There is no need to obtain a follow up PCR test. Given the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant, it is most important to wear any mask both in public spaces and when interacting in close contact with individuals outside of your household, but an N95 mask will provide better protection. We are distributing enough N95 masks for any Connecticut resident that would like one.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has granted emergency use authorization for the iHealth COVID-19 antigen rapid test, which is completed with an anterior nasal swab and is not the deep nasal test. The complete instructions for the at-home rapid test are available on the iHealth packaging in English and Spanish. Results are usually available in 15 minutes. More information on the iHealth antigen home test kits is available at ihealthlabs.com.
“Residents who have not been vaccinated should get their COVID-19 vaccine now and can do so by visiting ct.gov/covidvaccine,” Commissioner Juthani said. “For all vaccinated people 16 and older that are eligible for a booster, please get one as soon as possible. For all school-age children 5 and older that are not vaccinated yet, please use this school break to get vaccinated. Vaccination saves lives and keeps people who get COVID out of the hospital.”
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is in the process of adding 7 more community testing sites to its current roster of 23 state-sponsored sites. Information on the approximately 400 COVID-19 testing sites currently operating in Connecticut is available by calling 2-1-1 or visiting 211CT.org.
Janet Cook Marino, 88, Died; Former Daybreak Nursery Employee, “quick to smile”
Janet Cook Marino, age 88, of Shelton, beloved wife of the late James V. Marino, Jr., passed away in her home on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, with her daughters by her side.
Born on October 16, 1933, in Bridgeport, she was a daughter of the late John and Lucille Carbone Cook. Janet was a graduate of Harding High School and grew up in Bridgeport and was formally a longtime resident of Trumbull before moving to Shelton.
She worked for Park City Hospital as a keypunch operator. After retirement she enjoyed working part time at Daybreak Flower Shop in Westport. She was on the Harding High School Reunion Committee and a member of the St. Catherine of Siena Ladies Guild, where she served as President (1975-1976).
Janet was an excellent cook and loved nothing more than entertaining and cooking for her family and friends. There was always room for one more at the table. She was quick to smile and was happiest when surrounded by her family.
She will be greatly missed by all that were lucky enough to know her. Survivors include two daughters, Joy Marino and her husband Robert Sardaro of Trumbull and Jill Marino and her husband Michael Shandrowski of Stratford, two adored grandchildren Skylar and James Shandrowski of whom she was very proud of, two sisters, Rosalie Pauciello of Bridgeport, and Lynda Cook-Lawrence of Trumbull, as well as several nieces and nephews that she loved dearly.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, December 31, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Catherine of Siena Church, 200 Shelton Rd., Trumbull. Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Trumbull. Friends may greet the family on Thursday from 4-7 p.m. at the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Rd., Trumbull. Face masks must be worn for both funeral home and church services. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to The Thomas Merton Center, 43 Madison Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.abriola.com.
Talking Transportation: The Private New Canaan Railroad Car
The Private Commuter Rail Car
We all dream about traveling first class. Big comfy seats, real food and free drinks. This is the only way to fly.
UConn Archival photo of the New Canaan private commuter car. But did you know that there used to be a handful of private, first-class “club cars” on the New Haven Railroad’s commuter trains? Among the most legendary was one that ran from New Canaan from 1908 to 1976, car # 5113.
Fortunately, The New Canaan Historical Society has preserved all of the original paperwork for private club known as “The New Canaan Car” (NCC). And the story is fascinating.
The plush custom-built car carried about 60 passengers, half the load of a regular coach. The car had its own buffet from which an attendant, Willie Spaulding (who worked for 26 years), dispensed continental breakfast in the morning and poured adult beverages in the evening.
Pulled on train #331 in the morning, the private car left New Canaan at 7:43 am, arriving at Grand Central by 8:48. The return run on train #332 left at 5:09 pm and was back in New Canaan by 6:15.
Membership was not cheap. In 1966 initiation fees were $200 ($1600 in today’s money) and the monthly surcharge was $100, not including the price of the ticket. By 1974 the NCC was paying Penn Central $69,300 a year to haul its private car.
New Canaan private club car attendant Willie Spaulding. Contributed photo by the Spaulding family. Over the years I had heard rumors about this railroad “unicorn”… often spoken about but seldom seen. And one of the rumors was that this gentlemen’s club did not allow women members. Not so, from reading their By Laws. But neither did their membership directory ever show a female’s name as far as I could find.
Car members were allowed to bring guests (yes, even women) with the OK of other members. And the NCC was famous for its birthday parties and holiday fests. One set of minutes went into great detail about the BYO liquor cabinet which used to operate on the honor system but which by 1968 needed a lock and key.
Memberships in the NCC were handed down from father to son but there was no apparent waiting list. In 1972 the Membership Committee was asking members to help identify “goodly and likely candidates” to replace retirees.
After the bankruptcy of the New Haven RR, Penn Central took over and the railroad raised its hauling fees. Even though many of the NCC’s members were CEOs of companies doing a lot of freight business with Penn Central, the railroad didn’t care. It was broke and their clout didn’t matter.
The arrival of Metro-North saw the railroad convert from old, heavyweight cars pulled by locomotives to the all-electric M2’s, and this marked the end of the line for the NCC.
In 1976 Metro-North parent MTA said it was willing to rebuild a Bar Car just for the NCC; but at a cost of $70,000, that seemed too rich even for the New Canaan crowd. Worse yet, then-Governor Ella Grasso said the state should not subsidize millionaire commuters in private cars.
The last run of the NCC’s private car was April 1st 1976. When the train arrived in New Canaan at 6:15 pm, the party continued ‘til 8. The next day members stripped the car of all its furnishing (which were owned by the club), including 64 chairs, six bridge tables and three smoke stands (ashtrays) which went into storage. By 1979, the furniture storage fees had drained the NCC’s treasury and after 71 years, the club was dissolved… a sad end to such an illustrious history.
About Jim Cameron:
Jim Cameron has been a commuter advocate for over 30 years, with a special focus on the Metro North railroad. He spent nearly two decades on the Connecticut Metro North Commuter Council, and most recently founded The Commuter Action Group. Jim Cameron’s Talking Transportation was a popular column on the former WestportNow.com prior to its cessation, and joins The Westport Local Press and several other online community organizations. A resident of Darien - he serves on its Representative Town Meeting and is Program Director of the town government TV station, DarienTV79. He can be reached at CommuterActionGroup@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: @CTRailCommuters
Morning Weather Report
Today
A slight chance of snow after 1pm, mixing with freezing rain after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 38. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight
A chance of rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet before 10pm, then a chance of rain and sleet between 10pm and 1am, then a chance of rain after 1am. Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 33. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Tomorrow
A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Calm wind becoming west around 6 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Rain likely, mainly after 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.