COVID-19 update: Local cases even; students to get tests before vacation
Feb. 12, 2022 | By Lisa Scagliotti For the second week in a row, Waterbury has logged 42 new cases of COVID-19, according to the latest Vermont Department of Health community data released on Friday.
After January statewide daily case counts frequently topped 1,000 and even twice that, February is seeing a drop in virus spread with the seven-day statewide average now below 400. On Friday, the Health Department reported 398 new cases for Feb. 10 with 76 Vermonters hospitalized, 23 in intensive care. In just 10 days so far this month, however, 20 more Vermonters have died, according to the latest state data.
Locally Waterbury’s case count still leads its neighbors by far – its total for the pandemic is 1,460. Waterbury accounted for most of the cases in the Harwood Unified Union School District communities in the past week. For the seven days ending Feb. 9, the six towns in the district logged 56 cases. 42 of those in Waterbury; Waitsfield accounted for 6 cases, Moretown 5; Fayston had 2 and 1 more was recorded for Warren.
Nearby in Stowe, cases have dropped to just 5 in the past week for a pandemic total of 795, according to the Health Department. Meanwhile, Barre City still leads Washington County with over 3,400 cases, 71 of which were in the past week; Montpelier is just shy of 1,100 total cases with 32 identified last week.
State officials at Tuesday’s COVID-19 briefing noted a drop in Vermonters getting booster shots which are recommended to protect against severe illness that could require hospitalization.
A vaccine clinic is planned for today in Waterbury from 9 a.m. to noon at the Waterbury Area Senior Center on Stowe Street. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Waterbury with Waterbury Ambulance Service handling vaccines, the clinic is open to anyone age 5 and older for first, second, or booster doses. No appointments are necessary and ambulance service staff remind people to bring their vaccination cards.
Masks at school
Gov. Phil Scott and Education Secretary Dan French discussed the state’s guidance on mask-wearing in K-12 schools this week, signaling that the state’s position may soon change. Reaching 80% vaccinated in a school population has been the benchmark this year for when masks may no longer be required. That has been delayed in recent weeks due to the surge in cases since December attributed to the Omicron variant of the virus.
Several other New England states this week announced plans to end mask requirements for public schools soon, Gov. Scott and his team did not say when Vermont’s guidance may change but they appeared eager to move in that direction in the near future.
“The sooner we can get people – kids in particular – back to normal, and that’s without masks, the better,” Scott said.
The discussion of easing mask use at the state level came as a supply of KN95 masks ordered several weeks ago arrived in the Harwood district to be distributed to students from preschool through 12th grade. K-12 students were sent home this week with 10 of the reusable masks each and preschoolers who attend school fewer hours with five – enough, school officials said, to last into late March.
At Wednesday’s Harwood School Board meeting, Superintendent Brigid Nease said the timing was coincidental as the shipment did not arrive quickly from when the order was placed in January. She noted that staff and students are not required to wear the multi-layered KN95 masks, as long as they wear some mask until the district revisits its protocols.
Nease said school administrators are following developments at the state level and will consier any new recommendations in the context of COVID-19 cases the local community and in schools.
“We are still analyzing whether and when masks should come off for students indoors,” Nease said. “We’re asking for patience. Those protocols will be changing.”
As the state sees an overall drop in cases, so has the Harwood school system, Nease said. In a COVID-19 update to the board, she documented cases declining and attendance for students and staff improving.
This week, for example, the district reported just 11 cases where individuals were contagious in school. Even with the holiday break, the Harwood district logged over 80% of its COVID infections beween Dec. 14 and Feb. 4, Nease said. In fewer than two months, schools tracked 174 of the 215 cases so far this school year.
“The good news is that the Omicron variant seems to be subsiding. Cases are going down. Attendance is going up for both students and staff. We all have the itch for spring,” Nease said, adding, “But we still can’t completely put our guard down.”
Nease made one announcement this week to relax COVID restrictions. On Wednesday, limitations on attendance at indoor school events including sports were removed. Student-athletes for example had been receiving tickets for family members only. Those limits ended although masks are still required.
Looking ahead to school break
On Feb. 18, local public schools will close for February break with classes resuming on March 2. Nease said she’s received some news about rapid tests to distribute before break begins.
“We learned that the state intends to send us enough antigen tests next week to send all students home with 1 kit (2 tests) to use prior to returning from February break,” she said.
That would be a big difference from the December holiday break when rapid tests became available just a few days before schools were to reopen, prompting a statewide scramble to distribute tests to families before students headed back. Many families didn’t get tests and as schools reopened, cases new infections surged.
As for anticipating relaxed masking guidance from the state after February ends, Nease said she’s inclined to proceed with caution immediately following school vacation. “While I haven't made a final decision on that yet, I would likely delay such a change until 1 week after we return from break. We will continue to monitor the virus status through break,” she said.