Good evening, this is First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons with today’s weekly update.
With approximately 60% of our total population fully vaccinated, Madison continues to see our cases drop as vaccination rates increase. We have had no new COVID-19 cases in our community this past week, and currently have only 2 active cases overall. Madison Public Schools currently has no active cases, including students and staff, which is an amazing accomplishment. Importantly, the Governor recently announced that parents and guardians of residents between the ages of 12 to 15 can now sign their children up for a vaccination appointment, or visit one of the many clinics that are accepting walk-up patients. Please note that only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for this age group, so we recommend looking for clinics that are offering this particular vaccine. There continues to be sufficient vaccine availability throughout the state, including several locations in Madison such as the CVS located on Boston Post Road and our Stop ‘n Shop. Please visit ct.gov/covidvaccine to find a convenient place to get vaccinated.
Yesterday, Governor Lamont announced that Connecticut will be following recent CDC guidance to end the indoor mask mandate for people who are fully vaccinated starting May 19th. At this time, the state will also be lifting most remaining business restrictions that have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic. Notably, earlier this week the state legislature approved another extension of the Governor’s emergency power to July 20th in order to provide executive authority over federal disbursement of coronavirus relief funds coming to the state and continuing to oversee the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
An important reminder to please remember to vote this Tuesday, May 18th in the Town’s annual Budget Referendum. If you choose to vote in person at the polls, please note that District 1 voting has been moved from the Senior Center to Polson Middle School (the old Hand High School) which is located at 302 Green Hill Road. District 2 voting will take place, as in previous years, at Brown Intermediate School at 980 Durham Road. Polling locations have been modified for social distancing and will stay open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you received an absentee ballot, completed ballots can be placed in the secure drop box located outside Town Hall but must be returned before 8 p.m. on May 18th in order to be accepted for processing. If you have questions or need information on voting, please contact the Town Clerks office at (203) 245-5672 or via email at townclerk@madisonct.org
As Town Hall shifts back to normal operations, the Board of Selectmen will be holding its first in-person meeting on Monday, May 24th at 7 p.m. as a hybrid meeting, meaning that the public has the option to attend in-person or via zoom. Given room capacity limitations, anyone who would like to attend in-person will need to pre-register. The registration link is on the calendar event for the meeting. I also want to remind people that in-person purchases of beach passes is only being offered at the Surf Club office, not at Town Campus. The Surf Club office is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for walk-up service.
I want to give a special recognition to the Madison Police Department following this week’s celebration of National Police Week. Madison is fortunate to have such an incredible group of men and women that serve us with such a high degree of professionalism and dedication to duty and service. We are grateful for all you do for our community. I also want to highlight that next week is National EMS Week, which celebrates our EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our community. We are thankful for your service, particularly under such demanding circumstances over this past year.
Stay safe and healthy Madison.
Peggy Lyons
First Selectwoman