This evening, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan provided a community coronavirus update. He reported that testing at Lapham Center last Friday of 653 residents, teachers, Town employees and volunteer first responders produced only 6 positive results, or a positivity rate of 0.92% and of the 6 positives only 3 were New Canaan residents.
Moynihan said that the community saw another significant uptick in COVID-19 cases over the weekend with 27 new positive test results since last Friday’s outcall. "The state DPH has not posted negative test results for the same period so we can’t give an all-inclusive updated positivity rate for New Canaan since last Friday," he said.
According to Moynihan, the new cases vary across all age groups and there is no new theme of where transmission is occurring other than gatherings and events where people are letting down their guard and not wearing masks and social distancing. "But community transmission is occurring more rapidly across all age demographics," he said.
Moynihan says that this additional jump in positive cases over the weekend illustrates how fast community transmission spreads and accelerates. In addition, hospitals locally and across CT are seeing rising Covid-19 patient counts of all age groups and senior residential facilities are beginning to have rising cases. Most Covid-19 deaths across CT continue to be in the elderly age brackets with individuals who have comorbidities, although we have not had a Covid-19 death of a New Canaan resident since early August.
For complete information and to view updated charts regarding New Canaan COVID-19 cases since March please see the COVID-19 page of the Town website at www.newcanaan.info.
As announced last Friday, the Town is collaborating with Waveny LifeCare Network (“Waveny”) to offer daily PCR nasal swab testing for residents only at Lapham Center this week Monday through Wednesday and continuing next week Monday through Saturday. This week’s registration is full and we cannot take any walk ins or additional appointments. Collaborating with Waveny for daily test days will provide easier access for residents to be tested here in town. The link for next Monday through Wednesday test dates is in your Everbridge email (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/COVID19Wavneytest2). You must sign up each person in the household under their own name and date of birth. Please be sure to include complete insurance information in the text box provided on the SignUpGenius registration. Results will be provided within 48 hours by email or text message so please provide your cell phone number as contact number. Please note that we are not recommending that everyone get tested but we are encouraging those with any potential Covid-19 symptom, those who had a potential exposure to a positive case and those with essential jobs who have a lot of interaction with the public to get tested.
As a reminder, if you are symptomatic please do not attend work, school, or any public or private gathering. The symptoms for COVID-19 vary and some symptoms include: new loss of sense of smell or taste, sore throat, shortness of breath, dry cough, fever, body aches, chills, fatigue, and congestion. For a complete list of COVID 19 symptoms please visit www.cdc.gov. We want to stress how important it is to recognize symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested. For those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms please get tested by contacting your primary care provider for referral to a local hospital or visit one of the community health centers (CHC) in Norwalk or Stamford.
With the continued spread of the virus we strongly urge our seniors to avoid crowded areas, gatherings of any kind, and to remain safely at home as much as possible. Seniors should contact our Human Services Department at 203-594-3093 if you need assistance with grocery shopping, prescription pickup or other services. Also, if you are willing to volunteer to be a shopper for a senior please contact Human Services as well.
We remind you that college students traveling home from a red state and anyone traveling for the holiday to/from a red state are subject to the CT travel advisory requirements. If you travel to any of the states or countries on the list (except for less than 24 hours), you must quarantine for 14 days upon your return home or fulfill the testing requirements outlined in Executive Order 9B and also complete the travel form found on the state’s coronavirus website (https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel).
We wish you a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving holiday with your families. Due to the holiday, we will not do an outcall on Friday; our next outcall will be Monday, November 30, with further Waveny testing days to register for next week.
Finally, please do your part in controlling the spread by wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and maintaining social distance.
Stay safe, New Canaan.