Two employees of the New Canaan YMCA who work in children’s programs have tested positive for COVID-19 virus, officials said.
In an email sent late Wednesday to Y members, the organization said one of the employees works in its “Kids Unlimited” after-school program and the other in the “Rainbow Station” childcare center. They last were at the South Avenue facility on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, the email said.
“The affected Rainbow Station classroom and the Kids Unlimited classrooms will be closed for 14 days and will undergo an additional deep cleaning in accordance with the guidelines set by the [Connecticut] Office of Early Childhood,” the email said.
It continued, “The teachers and participants of the Rainbow Station classroom and those who were in the Kids Unlimited program on Monday, October 12 have been advised by the New Canaan Health Department to self-quarantine and will not be using the Y for at least this 14-day period. Since reopening, both of these programs have been strictly following Office of Early Childhood guidelines, which are in place to help prevent transmission.”
The news comes as New Canaan continues to see new confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus. Health Director Jenn Eielson said Oct. 1 that community spread of coronavirus appeared to be on the rise here. Data from the Connecticut Department of Public Health show that the town has had yet another confirmed positive case since Monday. It’s unclear whether it reflects either of the New Canaan Y cases, since the state’s town-by-town numbers track by town of residence and it’s unclear where the two Y employees live.
Even so, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan during the Board of Finance meeting Tuesday night spoke in a positive way of New Canaan’s numbers, saying they’re “remarkably low.”
Moynihan said, “COVID is obviously very much on our minds. We continue to get a few new cases a week. Minus the college kids we subtract out for purposes of the school metrics—college kids stay away for the most part at their colleges—and we still see unrelated cases. Nothing systemic. Nothing we perceive as happening within the schools. Which is a good thing. But we are very concerned with everything that is happening around us, not only in the country but other parts of Connecticut. So the prospect of a second wave is very much on our minds and we are beginning to prepare for that with the EOC [New Canaan Emergency Operations Center]. We just haven’t seen it yet in our numbers.”
In its email, the Y said that while “no public facility can completely eliminate the risk of transmission,” the organization since reopening has taken steps to reduce risk, such as more cleaning, hand sanitizer stations and required mask-wearing inside.