Officials reported 25 more confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 virus for New Canaan over the weekend.
The uptick in cases—to 328, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Public Health—additionally comes with 23 total probable cases of coronavirus disease for the town.
The figures come in after municipal officials on Friday reported the highest number of new cases in a week here (53) since March.
New Canaan now is coded red on the DPH alert map, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said in a town-wide outcall Friday.
“We continue to see cases resulting from gatherings of all sizes occurring in homes and at commercial establishments, spread within families, various youth sports events, play dates and transmission from outside caregivers,” Moynihan said.
On Monday, as anticipated, New Canaan High School shifted back from a full in-person learning model to a “hybrid” system, where just half of the student is in the Farm Road building at a given time.
In an email sent Friday to school families, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi said the change is designed to strengthen strategies already in place, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, and “to slow the spread of the virus.”
“We will continue to monitor the levels of community spread, and if further changes are warranted they will be communicated immediately,” Luizzi said. The elementary and middle schools remain on full in-person learning, for now. As of Monday, a total of 25 students and staff members were isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 virus, and another 393 were in quarantine due to close contact with a positive case (primarily from NCHS).
The state’s new figures came hours after drug-maker Moderna announced that it has created a COVID-19 vaccine with an efficacy rate of 94.5%.
Moynihan said in a Monday outcall, “With the continued spread of the virus we strongly encourage seniors to avoid crowded areas, gatherings, and remain safely at home.”