New Canaan COVID Update: Data, Vaccinations, Clinics, and Appointments

This evening  Monday, March 15th, New Canaan First Selectman Kevin Moynihan provided a COVID community update reporting that last week, we had a decrease in the number of reported positive COVID cases for New Canaan residents with 25, down from 28 the prior week. We’ve had 9 new cases reported this week so far, most cases continue to be due to family transmission, according to Moynihan. 

COVID Testing

Our COVID-19 community testing at Lapham Center continued last week with three days of testing.  "With all results back from last week’s Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday testing there were 3 positive cases detected out of 177 residents tested for a positivity rate of 1.69%," said Moynihan.

 For updated information on the weekly cases, by age brackets, visit the red COVID-19 alert box on the town website at www.newcanaan.info. 

Vaccinations for New Canaan School and Daycare Educators and Staff 

For the last several weeks, the state Department of Public Health (DPH) has directed our New Canaan Health Department to hold a closed clinic for the educators and staff of all our New Canaan public schools, private schools, nursery schools and daycare centers. Moynihan says that the Health Department is almost finished with this DPH initiative and is receiving an increased allocation of Pfizer vaccine to begin vaccinating eligible residents aged 55 and over simultaneously with the remaining educators this week. 

Please continue reading Moynihan's message for additional updates including the Governor's accelerated vaccination schedule.

As Governor Lamont announced today, effective this Friday March 19^th, the next phase in vaccination eligibility will be opened to individuals aged 45-54, as well as continuing pre-K through grade 12 educators and support staff and licensed childcare professionals living or working in the state.

In anticipation of this next phase of eligibility, the Health Department has created a new voluntary vaccination form for those aged 45 and over to register to be vaccinated at Lapham Center with our Health Department. The Health Department will then contact eligible individuals from this list via email with a link to a Sign up Genius to schedule an appointment for vaccination at one of these clinics on Wednesday, March 24^th and Wednesday, March 31st. 

All eligible age groups aged 45+ are encouraged to fill out a new request with this link if you are still in need of an appointment so the Health department has a current list. You must receive an appointment from the Health department and no walk ins are permitted at the clinics. The link to the voluntary COVID 19 vaccination sign up form can be found in the email of this message (https://forms.gle/aNMu4eEPajyVJQDr6) and in the red COVID alert box on town website. You must be a New Canaan resident for these clinics. 

Today the Governor also announced that beginning tentatively on Monday April 5^th the eligibility will expand to individuals aged 16 and over but as a reminder Moderna & the J&J vaccine are not authorized for individuals under the age of 18 so please be sure if you are 16 or 17 years old that you are vaccinated with Pfizer. 

When eligible the general public aged 45 and up may also register through VAMS (https://dphsubmissions.ct.gov/OnlineVaccine) if you would like a vaccination appointment anywhere in CT. 

Besides VAMS, eligible residents may also try one of the pharmacies on the CT Covid-19 Vaccine Pharmacy list that is posted on the town website (www.newcanaan.info) in the red COVID alert box.  The list has the pharmacy name and address but you will have to Google search for the phone number.  The closest area pharmacy is the Walgreens in New Canaan on Pine Street.  You can try Walgreens by visiting their website (www.walgreens.com) to find any appointments that may be available in the area. Some pharmacies are listed in VAMS and others have their own direct scheduling via their websites. 

New Canaan residents that are eligible may also try to register for vaccination appointments at Stamford Hospital which has a new expanded community super COVID 19 vaccination site located at 1 Elmcroft in Stamford’s Harbor Point in addition to their vaccine clinic on the hospital campus in the Wheeler building.  For more information and to sign up directly with Stamford Hospital please visit COVID-19 Vaccination Information at Stamford Hospital’s website. You will be asked a few questions to determine if you are eligible to be vaccinated with them.  If you do not have an email address you may call 203-276-7300.    

Our Covid-19 community testing with Waveny LifeCare will continue at Lapham Center three days a week. The link for this week's Thursday and Saturday test dates and next Tuesday’s test date is contained in the email version of this outcall or you can find it in the red COVID-19 alert box on our website (www.newcanaan.info).  (The SignUpGenius link for testing this Thursday and Saturday, March 18^th & March 20^th , and next Tuesday,  March 23^rd  is: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/COVIDTESTINGMARCH18TH20TH23RD Please note that we cannot accommodate walk-ins at the test site.   

Finally, we remind residents that if you travel to any of the states or countries on the CT Travel Advisory list (except for less than 24 hours), you must quarantine for 10 days upon your return home or fulfill the testing requirements outlined in Executive Order 9S and also complete the travel form found on the state’s coronavirus website (https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel).