Thursday, December 3, 2020
The Vermont Department of Health reported 178 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, the most yet in a single day.
Three counties each set new case records: Chittenden, with 64 cases, Orleans, with 17 cases and Windham, with 13 cases. The tally includes two unconfirmed "probable" cases, officials said.
Thursday's total, just one week after Thanksgiving, breaks the previous state record of 153 cases set on November 18. New infections had dipped since then but remained higher than at any previous point during the pandemic.
Tags: UVM Medical Center , tests , Vermont , COVID-19 , coronavirus , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
State health officials have said for months that rapid-result antigen tests for COVID-19 are not as accurate as the PCR tests that must be processed in a lab. In settings with a low prevalence of the virus, the state has cautioned, the rapid tests can provide false results.
That’s no longer the case in Vermont’s long-term-care facilities. As the virus surges in those settings, state officials are incorporating rapid tests into their monitoring strategy. The state will begin delivering Abbott BinaxNOW rapid tests to long-term-care homes, Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The federal government, which is providing Vermont with 180,000 of these tests, began delivering batches to the state in early October. State officials had yet to distribute any of them.
Tags: rapid-result tests , long-term care , health department , Web Only , Image
Instead, town leaders believed Gov. Phil Scott's mask mandate didn't apply as long as selectboard members sat more than six feet apart.
In reality, the July order requires that masks be worn in all public venues, a state spokesperson said on Monday.
The Colchester misunderstanding apparently went unnoticed until Seven Days contacted Town Manager Aaron Frank about the issue on Tuesday.
Tags: Colchester Selectboard , Aaron Frank , Pam Loranger , COVID-19 , coronavirus , masks , mask compliance , Web Only , Image
Friday, November 27, 2020
Health Commissioner Mark Levine said Friday that Vermont will increase coronavirus testing at long-term care facilities in response to a worrisome number of recent outbreaks.
Speaking at Gov. Phil Scott's regular press briefing Friday, Levine said he was becoming "more and more concerned" about the growing number of cases at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, which have proven to be particularly susceptible to major outbreaks.
"This is causing more patient illnesses, hospitalizations and even deaths," he said, while also making it harder for facilities to maintain adequate staffing levels amid a nationwide shortage.
Tags: Long-term Care Facilities , Outbreaks , Elderwood , Web Only , Image
Friday, November 20, 2020
It would likely take months longer for the general public to get access to the vaccine, however, and as the virus continues to spread, officials urged Vermonters to continue to take steps to slow transmission. That includes avoiding gatherings with members of other households, practicing social distancing and avoiding nonessential travel.
Pfizer, the first company to complete Phase 3 trials for its vaccine candidate, said Friday that it had submitted its application for an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That announcement came just days after it announced preliminary findings from its trial data showing that its vaccine is 95 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infections.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Vermont is moving state employees’ health plans to OneCare Vermont amid a planned reboot of its all-payer system aimed at increasing participation among patients and providers.
Effective January 1, the shift affects about 9,000 members of the Vermont State Employees' Association and Vermont Troopers’ Association, according to state Human Resources Commissioner Beth Fastiggi. About 6,000 retired state workers are already enrolled in the system through a Medicare plan, she said.
“The more participants in the plan, the more effective it can be in helping the effort to stop the increasing costs of health care,” Fastiggi said.
Tags: OneCare , health care reform , all-payer , Vermont , Gov. Phil Scott , ACO , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Gov. Phil Scott's administration outlined the developments during a press conference Tuesday, projecting a bleak outlook for the coming weeks as the virus continues to creep through the state.
"We're seeing rapid growth, and this growth is not because of tourists," Scott said. "Not because of restaurants. Not because of gyms. Not because of schools. It's because adults continue to get together with other adults — multiple households, inside and outside — in situations usually involving alcohol where they stop taking precautions."
Tags: Gov. Phil Scott , Hospitals , COVID , Restrictions , Skeptics , Patiors , Web Only , Image
Monday, November 16, 2020
The tests are “part of our ongoing offense against the virus,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at a press conference last week, a “surveillance strategy” that will give the state an idea of how prevalent the coronavirus is in Vermont communities.
This week, asymptomatic personnel at all public schools in the state — as well as at five independent schools chosen because of their geographic location and size of their staff — can take an on-site COVID-19 test. Each school district must have a designated COVID-19 coordinator or school leader to “oversee the logistics of distributing, accepting, logging, boxing and shipping the kits,” said Agency of Education spokesperson Suzanne Sprague.
The Agency of Education is not aware of any other state conducting this kind of school staff surveillance testing, Sprague added.
Tags: Vermont , coronavirus , testing , staff , teachers , schools , Web Only , Image
Friday, November 13, 2020
Updated 5:30 p.m.
A deflated Gov. Phil Scott has imposed a series of new restrictions on social life — banning multi-household gatherings, shuttering bars and suspending recreational sports leagues — in response to an unprecedented wave of new coronavirus cases.
Scott appeared resigned as he revealed the restrictions at his regular press briefing Friday. Declaring Vermont at a "tipping point," he said his hand was forced once it became clear that many people were ignoring his recent pleas to recommit themselves to prevention efforts.
"We have no choice but to restrict social gatherings, whether at home or in a parking lot," he said. "So, starting today, multi-household gatherings — both inside and out, whether it's public or private spaces — are prohibited."
Vermont reported 84 new infections Friday, bringing the state's seven-day average to its highest-ever level of 59, and the Vermont Health Department says it is now dealing with more "outbreaks" and "situations" than at any other time during the pandemic. Many of those cases, officials say, trace back to private gatherings.
Tags: Gov. Phil Scott , Restrictions , COVID , Web Only , Image
Thursday, November 12, 2020
All schools in the Two Rivers Supervisory Union will hold classes online, beginning after Thanksgiving break until Monday, January 11, superintendent Lauren Fierman wrote in a letter to parents on Sunday.
Some staff and families had indicated that they would need to quarantine after the holidays because they were planning to go out of state or have guests from outside of Vermont in their homes, Fierman wrote.
Tags: school , coronavirus , Vermont , COVID-19 , Web Only , Image