State health officials reported 16 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus for New Canaan over the weekend.
The cumulative total for the town increased from 726 to 742 from Friday to Monday, according to data published by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
New Canaan also now has 46 probable cases of COVID-19, up two from Friday, the data show.
In his last town-wide coronavirus disease-related outcall, last Tuesday, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan noted that new COVID-19 cases primarily are coming from “small gatherings of family and friends.”
“[P]lease limit the number of people outside of immediate family members that you socialize with,” he said. “The smaller your circle of contacts the less opportunity there is to being exposed to the virus. Parents are urged to remind your children to not let their guards down when they are in intimate settings of small groups of friends—they should always wear masks and social distance if they want to avoid being infected and bringing the virus home to family members.”
In all, 36 New Canaan residents have died from COVID-19, according to the DPH.
The state’s data comes as Gov. Ned Lamont reported during an update Monday that Connecticut’s COVID-19 positivity rate has gone down to 5.29% while hospitalizations have increased by 55. There are currently 1,111 people hospitalized with the virus in the state, Lamont said.
In New Canaan, according to the school district’s latest update, a total of 10 students and seven staff members were isolating after testing positive for the virus, while 86 students and 19 staff members were in quarantine due to close contact with a positive case.
All winter sports in the state are suspended through Jan. 19, as per a November vote by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.
Under the latest guidance from the state, bars are closed while restaurants may stay open under sector rules that require up to 50% capacity with six-foot spacing and no more than eight per table. Retailers are operating under similar restrictions, while personal service businesses may run at up to 75% capacity.
After fielding unfounded complaints regarding compliance among New Canaan businesses, municipal health officials say they’re requiring that those lodging formal complaints identify themselves.
[Note: This article has been updated with the most recent district-wide COVID-19 figures.]