New Canaan Health Department Receives Coronavirus Grant

Alfred Branch
Updated ·4 min read

NEW CANAAN, CT — New Canaan's health district is one of the first 21 throughout the state that will receive a portion of a $20 million state and federal grant as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Cooperative Agreement, announced Gov. Ned Lamont. All the state's 65 health districts will receive a portion of the grant.

Under the agreement, the funding will help the health districts and departments in the fight against the coronavirus through the following:

  • Enhance laboratory detection, surveillance (contact tracing), response, informatics, and other workforce capacity;

  • Strengthen laboratory testing volume and capacity;

  • Coordinate and engage with partners as needed to respond to and prevent COVID-19;

  • Prevent and minimize disease transmission of COVID-19; and

  • Conduct health promotion activities associated with each of the previously mentioned activities.

"Ensuring the availability of these resources at the local level is critical to our response efforts," Lamont said in a statement. "We know that our municipalities, health districts, and local service organizations know their communities best. I’m pleased we’ve been able to engage them in the community resource coordinator program and allocate funding to support them in combating COVID-19. Everyone in Connecticut should know that it's safe to get tested – and if you need to stay home, we can support you, and our contact tracers are an important part of getting you what you need."

Added Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, "The best way to address the COVID-19 pandemic is neighborhood-by-neighborhood. Whether you've tested positive for COVID-19 or were in contact with someone who was, we are doing everything we can to make sure our contact tracers and community resource coordinators know your community and can address your needs as soon as possible."

The funding is being administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and will be distributed to each local health district and department over the course of three years:

  • Year one: May 19, 2020 to May 17, 2021

  • Year two: May 18, 2021 to May 17, 2022

  • Year three: May 18, 2022 to November 17, 2022

New Canaan is set to receive $29,530 in Year one, and a total of $73,825.

All of Connecticut's 65 local health districts and departments will receive a portion of the $20 million based on per-capita and poverty levels for each jurisdiction. Including New Canaan, the others in the first 21 health districts approved are:

  • Bridgeport – Year one: $510,243; Total: $1,275,606

  • Brookfield – Year one: $26,348; Total: $65,870

  • Cromwell – Year one: $22,513; Total: $56,283

  • Durham – Year one: $11,786; Total: $29,466

  • East Hartford – Year one: $136,449; Total: $341,123

  • Eastern Highlands Health District – Year one: $153,795; Total: $384,489

  • Glastonbury – Year one: $53,815; Total: $134,538

  • Guilford – Year one: $34,550; Total: $86,376

  • Ledge Light Health District – Year one: $344,683; Total: $861,707

  • Manchester – Year one: $127,278; Total: $318,196

  • Meriden – Year one: $145,939; Total: $364,847

  • New Britain – Year one: $258,350; Total: $645,876

  • Orange – Year one: $21,059; Total: $52,647

  • Pomperaug Health District – Year one: $70,176; Total: $175,441

  • Ridgefield – Year one: $33,326; Total: $83,314

  • Somers – Year one: $14,483; Total: $36,208

  • Uncas Health District – Year one: $223,845; Total: $559,611

  • Waterbury – Year one: $403,187; Total: $1,007,967

  • West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District – Year one: $162,458; Total: $406,145

  • Windsor – Year one: $42,486; Total: $106,214

"Contact tracing is one of the most important pieces of our state and nation’s response to COVID-19," said Connecticut Public Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford. "I am pleased that this funding has started to be distributed, and I encourage any health district that hasn't already applied for this funding to do so as soon as they can in order to support these efforts. The public should know we will continue to enhance these efforts as much as possible, and that their information will always be protected. Everyone should feel comfortable answering a call from a contact tracer."

While the deadline to apply for funding was October 16, any health district that hasn't applied is strongly encouraged to reach out to the Connecticut Department of Public Health and file their application as soon as possible. Inquiries should be directed to LHDELCinbox@ct.gov.

This article originally appeared on the New Canaan Patch