1/1 update:
We have received some test kits from the state. We received only 90. Ten will be reserved for the school and fire department. The remainder will be distributed to the first 80 people who signed up. They can be picked up tomorrow (Sunday 1/2) at the firehouse. Check your email to see if you are on the list, and for details on pickup.
Sorry to disappoint so many of you. As soon as we get more kits, we will work our way further down the list. Once everyone has a single kit, if more are forthcoming, we will provide them to those who requested more than one.
12/31 update:
We've been informed by the State DEMHS that they have received a partial shipment of test kits, and that they will deliver some to Scotland on Sunday. I don't have any further details. As soon as we know when and how many masks there are, we will be in touch to make arrangements. We have the email addresses or phone numbers of everyone who has signed up, and we will do our best to be in direct contact. But anything we know will be announced on this website as soon as we know it, with a link from the Scotland Residents page on Facebook..
We will also have N95 masks available starting Tuesday at 9 am at Town Hall.
Again, thanks for your patience, if you have any left.
12/29 update 2. At 10 pm the state Department of Emergency Management notified towns that the shipment will not be leaving the West Coast tonight. That means we will not have any test kits to deliver tomorrow. Details to come.
12/29 update:
At 4 pm, on a phone call for municipal CEOs and emergency management directors, the State Department of Emergency Management announced that the shipment of test kits has not yet arrived in Connecticut. In fact, it is still on the West Coast. The Department is still hopeful that the shipment will arrive in time to get the kits to us for distribution tomorrow as originally planned. They're even keeping the airport and the national guard on alert, just in case that actually happens, but it appears unlikely.
As of 5 pm today, all the kits promised by the state to Scotland were spoken for. We will be able to fulfill all requests for 4 or fewer kits. People requesting them after 5 pm, and people who asked for more than four, will be put on a waiting list in the event we receive more than we are expecting. We were planning to distribute them tomorrow, but since we do not know if we will have them, or how many we will receive, we are going to hold off on providing specific information about when and where you can pick up the kits.
DEMHS has promised to notify us as soon as they can confirm that the tests are in hand. At that time, we will notify recipients of the plan for distribution.
I am sorry for the confusion. The situation is fluid, and I can only ask that you bear with us as we sort it out.
Afternoon update:
I will be picking up tests Thursday morning. We hope to start distribution at noon at the firehouse, and to remain there until 8 pm, or until supplies run out.
If you have not done so already, please email me at firstselectman@scotlandct.org to let me know how many kits you would like to have. Ideally, you will receive one kit (two tests) for each member of your household whom you would like to test. We will do our best to supply you with that number, but that will depend on the overall demand. We will hold back some tests for walkups.
I'll post more details in this space as they develop.
Thanks for your patience as we figure this out.
Earlier message:
Later this week, the state will provide towns with rapid antigen tests to be distributed without cost to local residents. We are currently expecting to receive at least 270 test kits on Thursday morning. Each kit contains two tests. The Department of Public Health is urging us to make them available prior to the New Year's holidays so people can make informed choices about whether or not to attend holiday gatherings.
In making that choice, please remember that covid continues to pose a great risk of serious illness to unvaccinated people as well as to vaccinated people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or autoimmune disorders. Early indications are that the omicron variant is milder than previous mutations of covid, but also more easily transmissible. So it is likely that compared with previous variants, a smaller percentage of infected people will get critically ill, but their numbers will increase. Area hospitals are already reporting increased demands for care, and the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Getting tested, and following the guidance after a positive test, is one way we can work together to reduce the overall amount of suffering the pandemic causes. It will decrease the spread, ease the strain on the hospitals, and increase the likelihood that people who do get sick will have access to good care. Other measures you can take to reduce the risk to yourself and everyone else include getting vaccinated if you haven't already, getting a booster if you are eligible, and wearing masks indoors if you are not vaccinated or meet certain other criteria.
I hope that anyone planning to join friends or family for a New Year's celebration, or to attend a public event, will get tested in advance of the holiday. John Beck, our Emergency Management Director, and I will be providing tests to residents on Thursday afternoon/evening and Friday morning. We will announce the specifics in the next day or two. You can help us make plans that best serve the community by letting us know if you are interested in getting a kit. Please send email indicating your interest to me at firstselectman@scotlandct.org.
These test kits are antigen tests. They are less accurate than PCR tests, which are only available through health care providers. A list of area providers can be found here.
Feel free to share this information as you see fit. And please stay safe.
We have received some test kits from the state. We received only 90. Ten will be reserved for the school and fire department. The remainder will be distributed to the first 80 people who signed up. They can be picked up tomorrow (Sunday 1/2) at the firehouse. Check your email to see if you are on the list, and for details on pickup.
Sorry to disappoint so many of you. As soon as we get more kits, we will work our way further down the list. Once everyone has a single kit, if more are forthcoming, we will provide them to those who requested more than one.
12/31 update:
We've been informed by the State DEMHS that they have received a partial shipment of test kits, and that they will deliver some to Scotland on Sunday. I don't have any further details. As soon as we know when and how many masks there are, we will be in touch to make arrangements. We have the email addresses or phone numbers of everyone who has signed up, and we will do our best to be in direct contact. But anything we know will be announced on this website as soon as we know it, with a link from the Scotland Residents page on Facebook..
We will also have N95 masks available starting Tuesday at 9 am at Town Hall.
Again, thanks for your patience, if you have any left.
12/29 update 2. At 10 pm the state Department of Emergency Management notified towns that the shipment will not be leaving the West Coast tonight. That means we will not have any test kits to deliver tomorrow. Details to come.
12/29 update:
At 4 pm, on a phone call for municipal CEOs and emergency management directors, the State Department of Emergency Management announced that the shipment of test kits has not yet arrived in Connecticut. In fact, it is still on the West Coast. The Department is still hopeful that the shipment will arrive in time to get the kits to us for distribution tomorrow as originally planned. They're even keeping the airport and the national guard on alert, just in case that actually happens, but it appears unlikely.
As of 5 pm today, all the kits promised by the state to Scotland were spoken for. We will be able to fulfill all requests for 4 or fewer kits. People requesting them after 5 pm, and people who asked for more than four, will be put on a waiting list in the event we receive more than we are expecting. We were planning to distribute them tomorrow, but since we do not know if we will have them, or how many we will receive, we are going to hold off on providing specific information about when and where you can pick up the kits.
DEMHS has promised to notify us as soon as they can confirm that the tests are in hand. At that time, we will notify recipients of the plan for distribution.
I am sorry for the confusion. The situation is fluid, and I can only ask that you bear with us as we sort it out.
Afternoon update:
I will be picking up tests Thursday morning. We hope to start distribution at noon at the firehouse, and to remain there until 8 pm, or until supplies run out.
If you have not done so already, please email me at firstselectman@scotlandct.org to let me know how many kits you would like to have. Ideally, you will receive one kit (two tests) for each member of your household whom you would like to test. We will do our best to supply you with that number, but that will depend on the overall demand. We will hold back some tests for walkups.
I'll post more details in this space as they develop.
Thanks for your patience as we figure this out.
Earlier message:
Later this week, the state will provide towns with rapid antigen tests to be distributed without cost to local residents. We are currently expecting to receive at least 270 test kits on Thursday morning. Each kit contains two tests. The Department of Public Health is urging us to make them available prior to the New Year's holidays so people can make informed choices about whether or not to attend holiday gatherings.
In making that choice, please remember that covid continues to pose a great risk of serious illness to unvaccinated people as well as to vaccinated people with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or autoimmune disorders. Early indications are that the omicron variant is milder than previous mutations of covid, but also more easily transmissible. So it is likely that compared with previous variants, a smaller percentage of infected people will get critically ill, but their numbers will increase. Area hospitals are already reporting increased demands for care, and the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Getting tested, and following the guidance after a positive test, is one way we can work together to reduce the overall amount of suffering the pandemic causes. It will decrease the spread, ease the strain on the hospitals, and increase the likelihood that people who do get sick will have access to good care. Other measures you can take to reduce the risk to yourself and everyone else include getting vaccinated if you haven't already, getting a booster if you are eligible, and wearing masks indoors if you are not vaccinated or meet certain other criteria.
I hope that anyone planning to join friends or family for a New Year's celebration, or to attend a public event, will get tested in advance of the holiday. John Beck, our Emergency Management Director, and I will be providing tests to residents on Thursday afternoon/evening and Friday morning. We will announce the specifics in the next day or two. You can help us make plans that best serve the community by letting us know if you are interested in getting a kit. Please send email indicating your interest to me at firstselectman@scotlandct.org.
These test kits are antigen tests. They are less accurate than PCR tests, which are only available through health care providers. A list of area providers can be found here.
Feel free to share this information as you see fit. And please stay safe.