New Canaan’s highest elected official said Tuesday that the town continues to see four or five new positive cases of COVID-19 virus per week.
The new cases are of two kinds, according to First Selectman Kevin Moynihan: unvaccinated people or people who have received vaccine but have traveled “predominantly to areas of higher risk.”
None of the New Canaan positive cases are being reported yet as “very sick or hospitalized in the area,” Moynihan said during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall.
“And [Gov. Ned Lamont] indicated yesterday this Delta variant is a concern,” Moynihan said.
“I talked to the governor yesterday about the school reopening and whether or not he’s going to require masks,” he added. “The governor’s orders were extended as of today to [Sept. 30] to make further calls on what to do with response to the pandemic.”
Moynihan’s comments came during a discussion of general matters before the town. He referred to Lamont’s visit on Monday to Grace Farms in New Canaan for a bill-signing ceremony.
Lamont on Monday extended the duration of several executive orders related to the pandemic to Sept. 30. They include one that reads, in part, “[B]ecause of data showing that vaccinated people are highly unlikely to transmit or contract COVID-19 people who have been fully vaccinated need not wear face masks or face coverings except for in certain rare settings such as correctional facilities, transportation facilities, schools, healthcare facilities, and homeless shelters.”
Regarding locals and the pandemic, Moynihan said during the meeting that “Connecticut is among the highest in the nation as far as vaccinations and New Canaan is highest in Connecticut, practically, so we should feel safe in New Canaan.”
According to the state Department of Public Health’s most recent update, New Canaan has had 1,374 cumulative confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and 40 deaths.
New Canaan Public Schools has published a continuously updated “COVID-19 Continuity of Service Plan” online regarding the 2021-22 academic year. Part of it says that if “current positive trends stabilize or further improve over the summer, we do not anticipate the need to require universal mask wearing in our school buildings in 2021-
2022.”
“As we have all throughout 2020-2021, we will closely monitor the leading indicators of COVID spread, and if adjustments are required we will communicate with the community as quickly as possible,” the document says. “Regardless of whether or not a mask mandate is in effect, all students and staff have the option to wear a mask if they so wish, as it is a personal choice based on individual discretion. The NCPS will continue to adhere to Executive Orders and other mandates, as required by law, from the Governor’s Office, State Department of Education, Department of Public Health, and Center for Disease Control.”