State officials reported 17 more confirmed positive COVID-19 cases for New Canaan over the weekend.
The town’s cumulative total increased to 985, according to data released Monday by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
The figure represents an increase of 23 cases for the prior 7-day period, according to DPH figures—down from 24 the week before that.
The decreasing rate of new infections reflects what New Canaan’s health director said last week—namely, that after a spike due to holiday gatherings that officials had anticipated, the town has seen the number of new cases decline.
Officials say that most of those cases are due to family transmission and urge New Canaanites to isolate those testing positive from the rest of their household.
New Canaan Public Schools on Monday reported that just six students and five staff members district-wide were isolating after testing positive for the virus. An additional 42 students district-wide were quarantining Monday due to close contact with a positive case, NCPS reported, most of those from Saxe Middle School.
As Eielson reported, the state recently doubled its allocation of vaccine to New Canaan, with 200 doses made available last week. As of midweek last week, the percentage of New Canaanites aged 75-plus who were getting vaccinated was already at about 70%, Eielson said.
Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday said during a press briefing Monday that, starting Thursday, those 65-and-older can start registering for COVID-19 vaccination appointments. He estimated that it will take about one month to vaccinate those 65-and-older and urged patience, saying, “Our only limiting factor is the number of vaccines we are getting.”
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said in a town-wide outcall Monday night that those 75-and-older who have not yet been vaccinated or secured an appointment to get vaccinated should call the New Canaan Health Department at 203-594-3037 to schedule one.
New Canaan residents 65-and-older can use this form to register for a vaccination at Lapham Community Center (no walk-ins are permitted). More information from Moynihan’s outcall can be found here on the municipal website.
Eielson said during a recent Board of Selectmen meeting that New Canaanites can help health officials by following sector rules designed to limit transmission of the virus, and to avoid sharing inaccurate information around vaccine distribution, such as misinformation that sometimes is posted to social media.