Submitted by Cathy Iino, First Selectwoman.
I am sorry to say that, with the exception of the UConn women, there are not a lot of bright spots to report. As you may know, Connecticut’s COVID positivity rate is up above 5 percent again, and we are one of the top five states in number of cases per 100,000 people.
Our own town remains stubbornly in the red alert zone, with 21.3 cases per 100,000 over the last two weeks. We can’t stop taking the basic protective measures: Wear a mask. Keep your distance. Avoid crowds.
What is a positive is our vaccination rates. Connecticut still has one of the highest COVID vaccination rates in the country, and Middlesex County has the highest vaccination rate of any county in the state, with 22.8 percent fully vaccinated. More than 40 percent of Killingworth’s adult population has had at least one COVID shot.
Like so many other anti-COVID measures, vaccination protects not just you but the community as a whole. The more people who are vaccinated, the less chance there is of new, more virulent strains of the disease taking hold. And the only chance we have of really putting the disease behind us is to develop “herd immunity,” which keeps a disease from spreading exponentially.
Vaccination appointments in Old Saybrook. The CT River Area Health District will open up 600 slots for anyone 18+ years old at 12 midnight tonight for a drive-through clinic that will be held tomorrow, Thursday, April 1, from 3:30 to. 9:30 pm. CRAHD is administering the Moderna vaccine. Sign up is through VAMS. If you are not yet enrolled in VAMS, start that process right away, so you will be ready to go when the slots open. When in VAMS, search for the Old Saybrook location. The clinic is at the Old Saybrook Middle School.
Killingworth vaccination clinic. The Killingworth Health Department, in collaboration with the Community Health Center, Inc., will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for Killingworth residents on Tuesday, April 20. You can sign up for the clinic by calling the Killingworth COVID-19 phone line: 860-663-1765, x220. Supply of vaccine is limited, so appointments are first-come/first-served.
Break-ins. Last evening, someone attempted to break into a number of vehicles in town. Fortunately, almost all of them were locked, so the attempts were not successful. Good work, Killingworth! As the weather gets better, we can expect more of these incidents. Please continue to lock your vehicles, and don’t leave valuables in them.
Criminals are attempting break-ins like these throughout the area, and some of the culprits are armed. Resident Trooper Mulhall urges you not to chase or confront anyone; if you see a break-in under way, call 911 immediately.
Helping Hands needs you. On a more positive note, the Killingworth Women’s Organization distributed bags of holiday groceries to dozens of households last weekend. Many thanks to KWO! As a result, the shelves need restocking. Food and toiletry donations can be dropped off in the box outside the Center School at the traffic circle. Monetary donations can be sent to or dropped off at Town Hall.
Stay safe and carry on.
Cathy
