West Hartford Mayor's Weekly Message

Press release from the Town of West Hartford:

May 5, 2020

Hi – This is Mayor Shari Cantor.

"Thank you for your continued commitment and caring for each other during these extraordinary times. You are making a difference by incorporating extended hand washing, physical distancing and wearing face coverings as part of your daily routine.

Progress is being made. Each day we hear about increased accessibility to testing, therapeutic practices, and aggressive research and innovation. There are now resources and funding available to help our businesses. All of this gives me hope.

West Hartford had its first drive thru testing event at an Urgent Care Center this past Sunday with 77 patients who were tested. If you are experiencing symptoms or are an essential worker, you can get tested at one of the locations listed on our website.

As part of our ongoing effort to continue to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the West Hartford Bloomfield Health District is interviewing every person who has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus from the two towns. Contact tracing helps identify people who may be have been exposed by the virus. If you have tested positive for COVID 19, please call the Health District at 860-561-7900 for a confidential interview by a public health nurse.

While we are enduring this difficult time, I am inspired by the meaningful initiatives that support businesses while caring for our healthcare workers and residents in need. On Friday and Saturday night you can purchase a heart sign for $15 from 4-7pm in front of Zohara, and the Doro Group will provide meals for Hartford Healthcare workers. And Black Bamboo is selling T-shirts for $15 with all of the proceeds going to the Town That Cares. If you are aware of a program that is helping to support businesses while helping others - please let us know!

Also, remember our arts and culture institutions that bring richness to our community. A new Facebook page has been created to keep us informed of all the great things they are doing. Visit the Keep WeHa Arts and Culture ALIVE!

The Town of West Hartford is keeping close contact with our most vulnerable residents with a Community Support Team led by our social services department and fire department. A simple phone call to check-in with these residents brings reassurances that we care. If you or someone you know could benefit from this free service, please call 860-561-6991.

Lastly, remember to come together on Friday at 7PM to ring a bell for 2 minutes to honor and show our support for all essential workers, first responders and frontline healthcare heroes.

West Hartford, we are resilient. Please take care by being patient and kind with yourself, and celebrate the small victories each day."

Be well and be safe.

Thank you for listening.

(sent April 30, 2020)

This press release was produced by the Town of West Hartford. The views expressed here are the author’s own.