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Quiet Heroes of New Canaan: Jenn Eielson and Steve Karl 

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Jenn Eielson, New Canaan’s health director, paid out-of-pocket for a balloon guy and treats for kids for a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for children 5-and-older, held Nov. 11 at New Canaan High School, officials say. In all, 927 kids received their first dose during the clinic, Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services Commission during their regular meeting, held Thursday morning via videoconference. “Steve Karl from Karl Chevrolet caught wind that I paid for the balloon guy and all the treats and everything out of my own pocket, so Steve Karl and Karl Chevrolet graciously are going to be absorbing all of that cost,” Eielson said. “So I thank them greatly for that.”

The comments came during a general update from Eielson.

Around Town

Health Director: 1,000 Kids Aged 5 to 11 Registered for Nov. 11 COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic [CORRECTION] 

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More than 98% of 12- to 17-year-olds in New Canaan have been vaccinated against COVID-19 virus, according to the town’s health director. And 100% of town residents aged 18 to 44 also are vaccinated, Jenn Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services Commission during their regular meeting, held Thursday via videoconference. 

The 45- to 64-year-old age bracket stands at about 89%, while 100% of those aged 65-and-over are vaccinated, Eielson said during an update to the Commission. “The percentage of the total population with at least one dose—this includes those that re not currently eligible, is 80.12%,” she said. Eielson added that 72.9% of the total population is fully vaccinated. 

The town’s Health Department was scheduled to run a booster clinic Thursday of Moderna and Pfizer shots, she said, and 350 people registered for that. A booster clinic for teachers will be held Nov.

Around Town

‘Caffeine & Carburetors’ To Be Held Downtown Sept. 12

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For the first time in two years, the grassroots antique and speciality car show that’s drawn thousands of attendees to New Canaan in the past is set to return next month to the downtown. ‘Caffeine & Carburetors’ will be held Sept. 12 on Pine and Elm Streets, following approvals this week by health and other municipal officials. “it will definitely be a big show,” said Doug Zumbach, owner of the eponymous coffee shop at Pine and Grove Streets where Caffeine & Carburetors was founded. “So I’m really excited.

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COVID-19: Health Director Urges Residents To Abide By Travel Guidance

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Though the town primarily is seeing new positive COVID-19 virus cases among the unvaccinated, some “breakthrough” cases among those who have received vaccine also are being reported, according to New Canaan’s health director. Those breakthrough cases are “associated with travel” and “they can transmit to the unvaccinated,” Jenn Eielson told NewCanaanite.com. “So in some cases they have brought it home to under-12 unvaccinated children,” she said during an interview. Eielson said the main problem now is the Delta variant of the virus. She encouraged families that are traveling to check a COVID activity tracker on the CDC website that includes a continuously updated “Integrated County View” page that people can use to understand transmission rates in specific areas where the virus is spreading while making plans. Asked about her concerns as they relate to public health, Eielson said, “From our perspective, number one, we want to make sure that a month from now, we will be able to open schools safely and have all kids back in full learning, and number two, we want to make sure those who are unvaccinated get vaccinated so we can begin to curtail this pandemic.”

“The more bodies it has to mutate in, it is just going to keep mutating,” she continued. 

The comments came after First Selectman Kevin Moynihan reported in a town-wide outcall last Thursday that New Canaan had seen an uptick to total cases the prior week and 12 positive cases through Thursday of last week.

Alicia Meyer

Health Director: State Funding for New Canaan’s Public Health Nurse Now Uncertain

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New Canaan’s health director said Thursday that state officials “dropped a bombshell” this week regarding funding for a nurse whose responsibilities include administering vaccine. Hired in November through an Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity or “ELC” grant, the public health nurse has helped with COVID-19 virus testing, contact tracing and vaccinations amid the pandemic, and is to work on program expansions such as in telehealth, Health Director Jenn Eielson told members of the Health & Human Services Commission during a regular meeting. “Obviously, I cannot lose my public health nurse—there’s going to have to be a solution to that,” she said during the meeting, held via videoconference. 

“With the potential of another wave coming in the fall with the Delta variant—because even though we have very high vaccination rates, we still have the unvaccinated, the under-12 group that can’t get vaccinated yet,” Eielson added. “And there’s no timetable on that until ‘some time in the fall,’ is all we kept hearing for the under-12.”

The comments come as town officials decide how to spend $6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding that’s been allocated to New Canaan. One specific category that the funds may be applied to is “public health expenditures” and bolstering local public health response, officials have said.