COVID-19 Resources

The worldwide pandemic involving COVID-19 (coronavirus) has produced unprecedented challenges in the UConn community and around the world. UConn Extension has curated the following resources for our audiences.

For more information from the University, visit the COVID-19 update page.

For health information please visit the CDC.

As the current COVID-19 situation continues to rapidly evolve, UConn Extension is here to support you by continuing to provide science-based information and resources that you expect during these challenging times.

We will follow Governor Lamont’s directives and we review these on a regular basis. We will move to in-person programming when possible.

Even though our Extension Offices are closed, Extension educators are still working and available by virtual meeting, phone or email.

Electronics may carry germs that pose risks to your health. Minimize your health risks by following these practices: Before cleaning any device, wash your hands. Apply clean water and soap to your hands. Scrub the back and front of your hands, in between your fingers, and underneath your fingernails for 20 seconds. Rinse your hands and dry with a clean towel. Make an effort to keep electronics clean and to use them on clean surfaces – desktops, tables, countertops, etc. Cell phones can become contaminated with germs, dirt, and oil. Avoid holding your cell phone against your face. Download the fact sheet.

COVID-19 Information & Resources

CoronaVIrus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory virus that spreads through respiratory droplets. These droplets are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes; they are inhaled or ingested by non-infected individuals who then become infected with the virus. There is no existing vaccine against COVID-19. The best way to not get sick is to practice prevention. Hand washing, social distancing, and more information is available here. There are additional resources available from the CDC.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) helps families learn about healthy eating, shopping on a budget, cooking and physical activity. EFNEP staff strive to empower participants, providing knowledge and skills to improve the health of all family members. Participants learn through doing, with cooking, physical activity and supportive discussions about nutrition and healthy habits.

Olivia Knight and Yutin Zhao, our students, have been creating flyers and information related to keeping your family healthy and safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Resources on our page can be downloaded or printed by clicking on the image. Visit the page.

Map of Open Farms and Farm Stands

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, CT Northeast Organic Farming Association has partnered with the CT Dept of Agriculture to expand the list of farms, farmers' markets, and farm stands beyond the current CT NOFA membership - free of charge and online. It is a joint effort to promote the availability of all Connecticut farmers who can provide food and other farm products in this time of crisis. Note: Read all signs and use caution when visiting farms, markets, and grocery stores and be sure to stay away from all food establishment if you feel sick. View the interactive map.

Your kitchen cabinet may be stocked with adequate cleaning agents to kill Coronaviruses, but you need to be careful as not all chemicals will work. Each disinfecting chemical product has its own specific instructions. An important rule is that you should not immediately wipe a cleaning solution off as soon as you have sprayed it on a surface. It needs to sit for a specified period of time (specific to each product) to kill viruses first.

Are You Keeping Your Hands Clean? / Estas Manteniendo Tus Manos Limpias?

Keeping your hands clean is a good way to keep germs away. Make sure you are washing your hands effectively and are scrubbing every part! California.gov has published a graphic that details parts of our hands we often miss when handwashing. To view click here.

Manteniendo sus manos limpias es una buena forma de mantener alejados los gérmenes. Asegúrese de lavarse las manos de manera eficaz, tallando todas las partes. California.gov a publicado un gráfico que enseña partes que muchas veces no so talladas. Para verlo haga clic aqui.

Between Jobs: Moving Forward Following Unemployment

Losing a job can be one of life’s most stressful events. It is not unusual for people who have recently become unemployed to experience several different emotions associated with this loss. Once you are over the initial shock, you will need to begin adjusting to this new reality. Though it is a difficult situation to accept, there are things that can be done to reduce the stress of job loss and begin to prepare for the future.

Download the fact sheet.

Our UConn 4-H program coordinated with dairy cooperatives, 4-H members and volunteers, and the UConn Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program to have dairy products donated and delivered to food pantries statewide. These products are helping feed families in need throughout the state. We've had two days of dairy donations and deliveries and our efforts will continue. To date, our team has helped distribute 1440 half gallons of milk (720 gallons) and 28,000 pounds of yogurt and sour cream so far, and another 7,200 half gallons Monday (3,600 gallons).

Watch the video.

Emergency Food Resources

Food access can be challenging. The state has a list of town locations where children under the age of 18 can get resources. Download the list of towns or the list of school districts. There are also mobile pantries available - here is the list. You can see the Connecticut Food Bank schedule here.

View the list Fairfield County emergency food resources list.

View the New Haven County emergency food resources list.

Other resources include a texting tool for the mobile Foodshare schedule. For up-to-date information on the Mobile Foodshare schedules and cancelations please enroll: Text FOODSHARE to 85511 and follow the prompts. All prompts must be answered before enrollment is complete. Foodshare is also working with their partner programs and 211 to update community programs hours and availability.

Mapping the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak

The maps and charts in this story are updated daily. For guidelines on coronavirus prevention and mitigation, please visit the CDC.

In just three months, the novel coronavirus has spread to more than 180,000 people around the globe, led to over 7,000 fatalities, and disrupted the lives of millions, according to official and unofficial statistics compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. View the story map. View country, and state specific data here.

Request for Personal Protective Equipment

At the direction of Governor Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the State of Connecticut has activated a framework for donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection that are utilized by people providing healthcare services.

Members of the public, businesses, and philanthropic organizations that are able to donate these vital materials are urged to contact the state by filling out the online form located at www.211ct.org/DonationsCOVID19.

This information is courtesy of the CDC and available in multiple languages.

Grocery Shopping, Take-Out, Banking, Getting Gas, and Doctor Visits.

As communities across the United States take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 by limiting close contact, people are facing new challenges and questions about how to meet basic household needs, such as buying groceries and medicine, and completing banking activities. The following information provides advice about how to meet these household needs in a safe and healthy manner. Read more.

Chemicals in disinfecting products can create toxic acids or gases if not handled correctly. When disinfecting, rules must also be followed to ensure the best effectiveness of the product.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed the following guidelines to ensure the safe use of EPA-registered surface disinfectants:

Always follow the product’s directions
Never apply the product to yourself or others. Do not ingest disinfectant products. This includes never applying any product on List N (the agency’s list of disinfectants to use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19) directly to food.
Never mix products unless specified in the use directions. Certain combinations of chemicals will create highly toxic acids or gases.
Wash the surface with soap and water before applying disinfectant products if the label mentions pre-cleaning.
Follow the contact time listed for your product on List N. This is the amount of time the surface must remain visibly wet to ensure efficacy against the virus. It can sometimes be several minutes.
Wash your hands after using a disinfectant. This will minimize your exposure to the chemicals in the disinfectant and the pathogen you are trying to kill.

CT DECD Recovery Bridge Loan Program

The state of Connecticut has set up a website with information for small businesses and non-profits to secure a loan. This is to provide emergency cash flow relief to small businesses and nonprofits negatively impacted by the coronavirus. Connecticut is now offering qualifying organizations with 100 or fewer employees access to no-interest loans.

Under the Connecticut Recovery Bridge Loan program, a qualifying business or nonprofit organization can apply for a loan of up to $75,000 or three months of operating expenses (whichever is lesser).

All of the information can be found at https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Coronavirus-Business-Recovery/CT-Recovery-Bridge-Loan-Program

Equine Business Guidelines

Connecticut Department of Agriculture: Equine COVID Guidance

Essential Equine During a Pandemic - Frequently Asked Questions

Essential versus Nonessential Equine Care During a Pandemic

Personal Preparedness Plan for Equine Owners

CT Horse Neighbors Facebook page, horse neighbors helping neighbors

CT Horse Council - can help you get the help you need

Other links for help from CT Statewide Animal Response Team

United Horse Coalition Resources for Horse Owners

Respiratory Protection Guidance

The Environmental Protection Agency has released temporary guidance on respiratory protection for agricultural pesticide handlers during COVID-19. Read more.

The following flowchart will help you determine if you are meeting your needs for respiratory protection:

English: Decision Making Tree

Español: árbol de decisiones

For more information on respirators for handling pesticides view: Respirators for Handling Pesticides: Jan Hygnstrom

With the country re-opening it's important to stay updated with guidelines. UConn Extension is working closely with the CT Department of Agriculture to provide the most updated and useful information. Attached are resources for farms with pick-your-own operations, CT farmers, CT farm stands, and stores along with food safety guidance.

Farm Stands, Stores, & CSA Guidance June 29

Pick- Your-Own Guidance June 29

Cornell PYO Flow Chart

Additional Resources:

Food Safety In CT

Resources From Web-Ex Meeting

Farms and On-Farm Deliveries

The following information was prepared by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture recommends farms adhere to the following guidance to limit exposure and risk related to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). As always, it is critical to practice biosecurity for the safety of animals and the public. It is now critical to also consider ways to limit person-to-person contact and congregate in settings of no more than 10 people while maintaining social distance. Read the recommendations.

Resources from the Department of Agriculture

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has compiled information from various sources for your reference to help support your business and to protect yourself, employees, and consumers.

For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including guidance and other resources, visit ct.gov/coronavirus. General questions can also be answered by calling 2-1-1 for assistance. The hotline is only intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider to seek treatment. View all resources.

UConn Soil Testing Lab is Open

In light of agriculture (including community gardening) being designated as essential, the UConn Soil Nutrient Analysis Laboratory will remain open utilizing best practices; social distancing and disinfecting are a high priority. No one will be allowed in the lab but essential personnel. Any soil tests need to be mailed or left in the drop box outside the lab. Anyone needing a soil test should go to http://www.soiltest.uconn.edu. Tests will take longer because they are running on essential lab personnel only.

Educational Activity: Beach Walk

Beachcombing along the Connecticut coast can be a fun and healthy educational activity for families eager to get out outdoors while the COVID-19 virus keeps children home from school. Among the many publications available from its website, Connecticut Sea Grant is calling attention to Living Treasures: The Plants and Animals of Long Island Sound, and a series of three pamphlets about seaweeds, shells and beach plants that families can use for easy beach activities. Learn more.

Things to do While School is Closed

It is time to get creative to find some constructive ways to fill our time. It won’t take long before the board games have been played, the favorite TV shows have been watched and everyone in the house is starting to get cabin fever. In an effort to help you stay focused on something other than COVID-19 and how you are getting bored, our UConn 4-H team is passing along a few sites where you can find hands-on, educational activities to keep your brains exercised. Here are some suggestions.

COVID-19 Simulation Scratch Activity

Use Scratch, a kid-friendly program, to create a COVID-19 simulation with bouncing dots. This simulation provides a visual of how the virus spreads through contact. This activity can help kids understand what "social distancing" is and how it is an effective preventable measure.

The activity and directions are available at:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/program-covid-19-simulator-scratch?from=Newsletter#instructions

The Secret Clover Quest

Cris Clover needs your help to find his secret clover stash. As part of our 4-H virtual escape adventure you will journey through a series of rooms, solving a host of puzzles and challenges along the way. You must successfully solve each puzzle to unlock the door to the next. There are trivia, iSpy, secret code and word scramble challenges to explore as you work your way through each room on your way to Cris Clover’s secret stash. Are you ready to navigate your way through this virtual mission? Cris is counting on you!!”

· Best suited for players 8-14 years old (open to all ages)

· Recommend larger screen for best results (some graphics will be hard to see on a phone or small screen)

· Game Link: https://forms.gle/EKucA2LsGUtqrmNW6

The worldwide pandemic involving COVID-19 (coronavirus) has produced unprecedented challenges in the UConn community and around the world. UConn Extension has curated the following resources for our audiences.

For more information from the University, visit the COVID-19 update page.

For health information please visit the CDC.

Message from CAHNR Dean Indrajeet Chaubey

Resources For All Audiences

Resources For Farmers

CAHNR COVID Research

Ask Us A Question

Dairy Foods Outreach

Resources For Businesses

Resources For Youth and Families

Additional Resources

Virtual Extension Programs

Resources for All Audiences

Avoiding Scammers

Avoiding Scammers

Boosting Your Immune System