New Canaan Town Hall Slows Reopening Plans

NEW CANAAN, CT — While the town's overall coronavirus-related statistics have remained low over the past month, New Canaan officials are slowing activities at Town Hall in an effort to help keep the virus under wraps.

Speaking at a news conference via Zoom conferencing on Thursday, New Canaan First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said that while Town Hall is open, the town's senior citizens and other at-risk individuals are being discouraged from visiting the facility.

"We're not inviting our seniors to visit Town Hall," Moynihan said, adding that residents have become used to doing government and town-related transactions via remote access: online, by phone or by mail. "There's no need to take risks."

Currently, the activity that brings people, especially seniors, to Town Hall is paying taxes, he said, and he encourages seniors to do that remotely, or at a Bankwell Bank branch.

Additionally, the town will continue virtual government meetings until Sept. 9 at the earliest, Moynihan said.

The move to slow down activities at Town Hall is largely due to a slight bump in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases following the July 4 weekend and the four weeks prior, or 10 new cases during that period.

"It is important to note that 6 out of the 10 newest cases were individuals 25 and under and mostly linked to travel or returning from travel from hot spot states and regrettably not self-quarantining nor donning of masks around relatives and others," Moynihan said in a statement earlier this week, adding that the total number of cases in town is 230, and the number of related deaths has held steady at 35. "All 10 cases are under the age of 60 with one family of 4 having been infected by a non-resident teenager."

Much like Gov. Ned Lamont, who this week delayed Phase 3 reopening over the issue, Moynihan said residents in New Canaan and the state are largely adhering to physical distancing protocols and wearing face masks, but travelers from hot spot states are bringing the virus here.

"I go by what our health department believes, and that is that we're not seeing local transmission of the virus," Moynihan said. "Transmission is coming from out-of-state."