Cooler weather upon us, indoor activities
With the arrival of cooler fall temperatures, it's natural that many outdoor activities that people enjoyed this summer are going to start moving indoors. We've had great weather for outdoor dining, safe and socially distanced backyard cookouts and movie nights, family hikes at our beautiful area state parks, etc. Now is a good time to review how to keep ourselves and family members safe as we transition to more indoor activities.
COVID IS STILL WITH US
Connecticut still leads the nation with one of the lowest rates of infection, but we have seen minor upticks recently. It is important that we all continue to follow the basic rules:
1. Wear your mask in any indoor venue where others are present, as well as outdoors in any area where you cannot stay at least 6' apart.
2. Maintain social distancing at all times when around others.
3. Carefully follow good hand sanitizing practices.
I have underlined part of the sentence above for a reason: health officials are learning that the majority of serious outbreaks can often be traced to a single event at which groups of people did not follow the protocols. In this morning's Danbury News Times, for example, we learned that over 100 college students were recently suspended from a major Connecticut university for violating the college's COVID restrictions.
On the positive side, our experience this summer shows us that we really can enjoy all the things we love, we just have to do it with a mask on. This includes supporting our local businesses and retailers. They are all open for business and are allowing a certain number of visitors in their stores, and many have curbside pickup. I speak with many of them quite often, and I know they would love to see you!
As I write this, November 3 rd is only 29 days away. We continue to receive questions from residents who are uncertain how to vote, so I'd like to reassure everyone with some basic information. First, everyone will be able to vote "in person" if they so choose. On November 3 rd , all polling places will be open from 6am to 8pm, as usual. Voters will be required to wear a mask for the safety of our poll workers and other voters, and strict cleaning and safety protocols will be in effect.
For any voters who are uncomfortable voting in person due to the COVID virus, the state has made it allowable for anyone to vote by absentee ballot for that reason. It's your choice. Our Town Clerk, Lisa Bergh and her staff have done a great job, already processing over 2,800 absentee ballot applications with the ballots being sent out on time. This option is available to every voter.
CONCERN ABOUT THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE
There has been a certain amount of speculation recently questioning the ability of the US Postal Service's ability to process the larger than normal volume of absentee ballots that might flow through the system. USPS officials have assured voters that they are well prepared to handle a high volume of mail at election time. However, if you have any concerns, you are invited to use the secure ballot box that has been bolted to the walkway near the front steps at the municipal center. This heavy-duty box is under 24-hour per day video surveillance and is triple-locked and checked multiple times per day by Lisa and her staff to ensure absentee ballots are processed quickly and kept in a secure location inside the vault in the clerk's office.