District 13 Updates: First Snowfall, Thanksgiving Refuse & Recycling Collection Schedule, Covid Update

First Snowfall

Winter's first snow has arrived, and the Streets Division crews were out to meet it. As we begin our journey through another winter, remember to use the City of Madison winter website as it has a plethora of useful winter information. You can learn about snow emergencies, winter parking rules, and sign up for alerts to know where to park so your vehicle is not ticketed or towed. You can learn the locations of where to get free sand for your sidewalks and driveways. You can learn about winter recreation opportunities like ice skating and snowshoeing. And you can learn about the proper way to spread salt to help minimize the effect it has on our environment and drinking water. The City's winter website is here.

Refuse & Recycling Collection Schedule for the Thanksgiving Holiday

There will be no refuse and recycling collection on both Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The drop-off sites will also be closed on these two days.

Below are the directions residents should follow in order to have their trash and recycling collected during the upcoming two-day holiday.

Directions for Residents with a Wednesday and Thursday Trash & Recyling Collection Day

If your trash and recycling are normally collected on Wednesdays and Thursdays by the Streets Division, you should have your carts to the curb by 6:30am on Wednesday, November 25.

Check your collection schedule calendar to determine if you should have your recycling cart to the curb along with your trash cart.

Carts set out late may not be collected.

Directions for Residents with a Friday and Monday Trash & Recycling Collection Day

If your trash and recycling are normally collected on Fridays and Mondays by the Streets Division, you should have your carts to the curb by 6:30am on Monday, November 30.

Check your collection schedule calendar to determine if you should have your recycling cart to the curb along with your trash cart.

Carts set out late may not be collected.

For more information, click here.

COVID-19 vaccine not likely to be available to the public until Spring 2021 or later

Local health organizations are calling on the public to be vigilant over the holidays in protecting themselves from COVID-19. Despite recent positive news about vaccine development, the general public is unlikely to receive vaccines until Spring of 2021 at the earliest.

Rather than calling your healthcare provider, please visit the Centers for Disease Control  and Wisconsin Department of Health Services websites for answers to frequently asked questions about the vaccine. This helps reserve healthcare systems' staffed phone lines for those calling with active symptoms and acute care needs.

Recommendations on how the early vaccine dosages are distributed will be developed at the federal level, and the first phase of vaccine distribution is expected to focus on frontline healthcare workers in patient service with the highest risk of exposure. The intent is to keep healthcare workers available to care for patients, and area health systems are planning how to rapidly administer the vaccine to its frontline healthcare workers upon receipt of the dosages.

Because a COVID-19 vaccine is not likely to be available for the public until Spring 2021 or later, it is imperative that the public continue to follow safety measures, especially as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, to prevent the spread of the virus and avoid further strain on local hospitals.

These preventive measures include:

• Don't gather in the presence of those outside your immediate household, and if you must, wear a mask and stay at least six feet apart.
• Wear a mask when in public, even in outdoor locations.
• Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, scrubbing thoroughly and rinsing completely.
• If you have symptoms, stay home.

When federal government regulators determine vaccine production is significant enough to make it available for the public, health systems will make this widely known.

These Dane County healthcare organizations support this urgent public health message:

Access Community Health Centers
Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin
Public Health Madison & Dane County
SSM Health
Stoughton Health
UnityPoint Health ? Meriter
UW Health

This is not exactly cheerful news heading into what is usually a very joyful holiday. But it is where we are at, continuing to take good care of ourselves and looking out for each other, particularly those most vulnerable in our midst. Consider reaching out to those who could use a friendly call. Holidays are hard to bear for those who have suffered loss. If you find yourself in need of help this Thanksgiving, please don't hesitate to reach out by emailing district13cares@gmail.com or calling 608.492.1331.

Take care, stay safe, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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