Local cases climb as Vermont hits COVID-19 records

Dec. 11, 2021  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

As Vermont continued this week to set new records for daily COVID-19 cases, Waterbury logged the most cases in a single week since the pandemic began in March 2020. 

According to individual town case data updated by the Vermont Health Department on Friday, 29 new cases were recorded for Waterbury. Prior to that, the most cases in one week numbered 27 for the week ending Sept. 7. 

The state records cases weekly ending on Wednesdays and releases those new figures on Fridays. According to how the Health Department tracks cases, some cases attributed to Waterbury are likely from individuals in adjacent communities that share Waterbury’s zip code. 

Since March 2020, Waterbury has had 469 cases, 60% of which have been identified since the start of August when the Delta variant of the virus sparked a surge in cases statewide that continues today. 

For comparison, Stowe’s total cases is 325 with 10 new cases in the past week. Montpelier’s total is 434 with 14 of those cases in the past week, according to the Health Department.

Local weekly cases are dwarfed however by the volume of new cases being reported daily statewide since Thanksgiving. On Friday, the 740 cases reported by the Health Department were a new daily record high, surpassing the previous highest day by 100 cases. The daily average is now approaching 500. On Friday, 78 people were hospitalized with 24 in intensive care statewide. Hospitals across the state are reporting limited ICU capacity and staffs are taking steps to limit non-emergency care and procedures. 

Compared with other counties in Vermont, Washington County has seen a moderate amount of virus spread. State data show 368 cases in the county in the past two weeks. Six other counties had more with Chittenden County the highest at 926 cases and Rutland County second on the list with 858 cases.  

Schools manage uptick as more students get vaccine

Meanwhile local schools saw a busy week with 12 new cases reported Dec. 1-8. Of those, seven were at Brookside Primary School, three at Crossett Brook Middle School, and two at Harwood Union Middle/High School, according to school district officials. 

Waitsfield Principal Kaiya Korb this week was filling in for Superintendent Brigid Nease. She said school staff are managing the recent uptick in cases that has included both children and adults who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

“The increase of cases that we are seeing is reflective of the presence of the virus in our community as a whole right now,” Korb said in an email to Waterbury Roundabout. “While we continue to look at our mitigation strategies and protocols, we have evidence that leads us to believe that the majority of the cases we've seen come from contacts outside of school.”

The state’s town-by-town case data show that Waterbury’s new cases drove an increase in the communities in the Harwood Unified Union School District to 42 for the week ending Dec. 8, the most in one week of the school year so far. Other cases reported by the Health Department were seven in Moretown in the past week and three each for Waitsfield and Warren.  

All students and staff in Harwood Union schools have been required to wear masks full-time since the school year began. “We continue to see evidence of masking being a highly effective mitigation strategy; we believe it is a significant contributor to what is preventing spread in our classrooms and schools,” Korb said.

New testing strategies are helping keep students in school when a case is identified in their class. Korb explained that those who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine and others are able to take daily rapid tests in the “Test to Stay” effort. That testing is especially helpful for children of teachers, she said, because if they need to stay home, their parent will likely be out of school as well.

“Test to stay allows these students to test daily and attend school, further diminishing one of the causes of staff absence experienced in the past. That said, we are entering cold and flu season and anyone, staff or students, not well is asked not to come to school,” Korb said.  

This week, many families took advantage of the rapid testing program, Korb said. “The bulk of students participating were able to complete their testing and still get to school on time -- impressive, given that the testing center doors open at CBMS at 7:15 and the tests take 15 minutes to process. Many families have signed up in advance so that they are ready to participate in test to stay if needed,” she said, adding that school nurses have been communicating with parents to sign their children up with permission for rapid tests so they are able to participate as soon as possible when needed. 

School officials say that they hope the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in schools will subside as more students get vaccinated. The vaccine was only approved for children ages 5-11 in November with many children now getting their second shots this month. Full immunity from the vaccine takes two weeks, according to public health sources.  

Korb said data is changing daily as more students are vaccinated but participation with vaccines has been strong. As of this week, approximately 40% of the district’s 5-11-year-olds have received both shots; 74% of that group has had one, she said. In the older age group, 87% of students 12 and up are fully vaccinated, she said. 

Several vaccination clinics for students in that age group are planned in the coming weeks. School officials are working with Shaw’s pharmacy to run two clinics at Crossett Brook Middle School, one on Dec. 16, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. for a first shot of the Pfizer vaccine; the follow up clinic is scheduled for Jan. 6 for the same time window. 

Registration for these clinics may be done online at mhealthsystem.com/CrossettBrookPediatric. Another clinic will be offered at Waitsfield Elementary School on Dec. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration for that clinic is through the Vermont department of Health portal. In addition, parents may also schedule vaccine appointments for children at their pediatric offices, local pharmacies or through the state Health Department.

One final note that Korb stressed, “We continue to experience a rather dire shortage of substitutes on top of the strain created by still having several unfilled permanent positions, so any absences cause pressure upon an already challenged system.”

Current job openings in the district are listed on the HUUSD.org website. Information on applying to being a substitute can be found here. 

State officials emphasize vaccines, boosters 

The Health Department and Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine continue to urge Vermonters to wear masks indoors in public places, particularly those who are not vaccinated. But Gov. Phil Scott has repeatedly said he does not want to call for a statewide indoor mask requirement, leaving it instead up to individual municipalities whether to put such guidance into effect. Special legislation allowing city and town governments to do so was put in place last month and local officials around Vermont have been discussing and deciding that question in the past two weeks.  Waterbury officials this week considered the issue and opted not to take any action on a local requirement. 

State officials have put their strongest emphasis on Vermonters getting vaccinated against COVID-19, including getting booster shots. On Friday, Scott and Levine issued a statement with that message that included a list of upcoming walk-in vaccine clinics. 

Currently 42% of Vermonters age 18 and older have received a booster dose, the highest percentage in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  “I thank Vermonters who have already gotten a booster, but we still have many more who need that higher level of protection,” Scott said.

People age 18 and older may receive a booster as long as it has been six months since their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two months since receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Boosters may be any of the vaccine types.  

The Federal Drug Administration this week approved boosters 16- and 17-year-olds. They have only been approved for the Pfizer vaccine, so their boosters would need to be Pfizer. Teenagers may obtain a booster at a walk-in clinic or by scheduling an appointment at a health care provider’s office, a pharmacy or through the state Health Department.  

“Getting your booster will guard against severe illness and hospitalization, especially if you are at higher risk, but boosters also benefit everyone,” Dr. Levine said. “During the current Delta surge, you should not consider yourself fully protected until you have gotten your booster.”

State officials at weekly press briefings on COVID-19 have noted that the majority of people hospitalized with the virus are unvaccinated. 

Upcoming walk-in clinics on Scott and Levine’s list in the Waterbury area include Sunday, Dec. 12, at the Moretown Artisans’ Sale, 940 VT-100B, Moretown, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and next Sunday, Dec. 19, at the Waterbury Area Senior Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Berlin Mall vaccine site also offers boosters daily. 

More information is online at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine for details on vaccine locations and hours. Any business or organization interested in hosting a clinic can find out more at healthvermont.gov/covid19-businesses.

Local testing continues 

Local free testing for COVID-19 continues daily at the Waterbury Ambulance Service station at 1727 Guptil Road in Waterbury Center. While walk-ins are welcome, the site has been very busy recently so making an appointment is recommended to avoid a long wait. 

Hours are: Mon., Tues., Fri., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Weds. 1-7 p.m.; Thurs. 1-5 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Schedule an appointment online at healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing/where-get-tested  or call 802-863-7240.