State health officials reported three more confirmed cases of COVID-19 for New Canaan over the weekend.
The town’s cumulative total cases ticked up from 229 in figures released Friday to 232 Monday, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 tracker. The town also has four probable positive cases, the data said.
The uptick comes as the town installs signs in the downtown designating it as a mandatory mask-wearing zone. First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said last week that officials could start fining those who violating the requirement to wear masks when downtown, including outside.
In a town-wide outcall Friday, Moynihan said New Canaan had 11 total new positive cases since Oct. 15. After weeks of characterizing the virus as merely “present” in New Canaan in the calls, Moynihan said in the most recent one that the town is seeing community transmission of the virus, though he qualified it by adding “to some extent.”
The new cases that Moynihan cited included a Saxe Middle School student who is 13 years old, he said in an email late Friday.
The school district—which as of Thursday had all K-12 students attending in-person following a carefully planned and closely managed phase-in—has had more success than the town in minimizing the spread of COVID-19.
As of Monday, the district was reporting two confirmed positive Saxe students isolating as well as three members of staff, one from New Canaan High School and two from East School.
Others in quarantine due to “close contact” with a confirmed positive case include 111 students district-wide (mostly out of Saxe), according to New Canaan Public Schools’ continuously updated operations guide, “Charting Our Course,” and six total staff members.
Moynihan said in the outcall, “Because community transmission is occurring in town and spikes are occurring in neighboring communities such as Norwalk, we strongly encourage seniors and other vulnerable residents to avoid crowded areas and gatherings and to return back to social isolation practices that will keep you safe.”
He added, “We remind residents to continue to practice social distancing when out in public, wear masks when social distancing cannot be maintained, and wash or sanitize hands frequently especially after contact with public surfaces.”