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Health Director: New Canaan’s Vaccine Allocation Doubles [UPDATE]

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[Note: This article has been updated to say the state is discussing prioritizing vaccinations for 65- to 74-year-olds next.]

New Canaan is seeing new positive cases of COVID-19 virus trend down week-by-week, Health Director Jenn Eielson said Thursday, and the state recently doubled the number of vaccinations made available to the town. The town saw a “sustained high” in cases starting in early November, and that’s been changing recently, “so this is good progress,” Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services Commission during their regular meeting, held via videoconference. “But we knew that was going to happen with the holidays and gatherings,” she said. “So this is good news.”

In offering COVID testing with Waveny LifeCare Network, the town is seeing about 92% of open slots filled up, which is “great news,” Eielson said. “People are still testing and wanting to be tested.

Alicia Meyer

COVID-19: School Parents Concerned About New Canaan Families Extending Vacations During Week of ‘Remote Learning’

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Many New Canaan parents are concerned that some families are undermining efforts to keep the public schools safe by extending their vacations this week instead of learning from home as a post-holiday safeguard against the spread of COVID-19 virus, officials said Thursday. Theoretically, this week of school was designated for district-wide remote learning to give New Canaan families time, after returning from travel, to get tested and for COVID symptoms to surface, according to Health & Human Services Commissioner Alicia Meyer. Yet “unfortunately, a lot of people took it as an opportunity to extend their vacations,” Meyer said during the appointed body’s regular meeting. “At Thanksgiving, New Canaan Public Schools were requiring that kids who travel be tested when they got back to Connecticut, after they travel,” Meyer said during the meeting, held via videoconference. “But now, after Christmas, the requirement is just within the 72 hours of travel, so before they left their destination.”

She continued, “I have been getting a lot of emails from people concerned that kids are still on vacation right now, are going to be tested in Florida or Turks-and-Caicos or wherever they are, another day of vacation, fly home, crowded customs hall, and then roll right back into school, because they were tested before they left the vacation destination.”

“People just are concerned about this,” she added.

Government

Health Director: Small Private Gatherings Are Driving Community Spread

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New Canaan is seeing COVID-19 virus spreading through small private gatherings rather than through outings to restaurants, according to the town’s health director. Though dining out is the number-two cause of transmission statewide, “that’s not what I see here,” Jenn Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services Commission during their regular meeting, held Dec. 3 via videoconference. The virus is spreading “when people let their guard down, when they only ‘have a few friends over,’ but those friends are from outside your house,” Eielson said. 

She added, “And then the test is only a snapshot in time. So they get tested the day before Thanksgiving and then they find out two days later that they’re positive, now that 48-window is your infection period.

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Bustling Real Estate Market Driving Up Workload for Town Health Department

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The town Health Department is seeing steep increases in a number of applications for various permits and reviews, a reflection of New Canaan’s bustling real estate market, according to the head of the municipal agency. Septic plan reviews are up 82% year-over-year, according to Health Director Jenn Eielson. In addition, septic permits are up 65%, soil testing is up 133%, well permits are up 200% and building permit plan reviews for properties on septic are up 20%, Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services Commission at their Nov. 5 meeting. “So on top of us getting this COVID pandemic, we are also on the other end because of the real estate seeing significant, huge increases in all that workload,” Eielson said during the meeting, held via videoconference.

Dr. Harrison Pierce

Town Officials To Undergo ‘Ticket Training’ for COVID-19 Rule Violators

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Municipal officials on Friday will undergo “ticket training” with the state as New Canaan prepares to fine those violating rules designed to minimize the spread of COVID-19 virus in town. Health Director Jenn Eielson said she will undergo training together with local police and the first section, from the state Department of Public Health, Department Economic and Community Development and Liquor Control Division of the Department of Consumer Protection. “That is for the fines,” Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services during the appointed body’s regular meeting Thursday. “I have already ordered our ticket book,” she said during the meeting, held via videoconference. “Because as many of you are sure to know, tomorrow the governor is rolling us back to what he’s calling Phase 2.1.