COVID-19 cases persist locally, across Vermont as national deaths near 1 million
May 6, 2022 | By Lisa ScagliottiThis story was updated on Monday, May 9.
As the United States nears the grim milestone of one million deaths to the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of the virus in Vermont communities remained strong last week.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has logged just over 995,000 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020. In Vermont, several new deaths reported last week brought the pandemic total to 644, according to the Vermont Department of Health.
The CDC’s tracking maps showing the levels of COVID-19 by county across the nation show Vermont with high levels of the virus in all but Essex and Windham counties. Although the state no longer is requiring specific COVID-19 mitigation measures, the CDC recommends wearing a mask in indoor public settings and on public transportation where there is a high level of the virus in a community. The public also is advised to get tested if they experience symptoms and to get vaccinated to avoid serious illness.
Locally, community-specific data are no longer being tracked by the state but cases in local schools are still being reported weekly.
For the first week of May, a total of three dozen cases were reported among students and staff who were contagious while in school, according to the Harwood Unified Union School District’s COVID-19 dashboard.
That’s after the tally for April showed 117 cases -- a monthly total second only to January this school year.
School health staff are keeping an eye on an uptick in cases at Brookside Primary School where cases are on the rise, particularly in the kindergarten classes.
On Wednesday, May 4, Brookside School Nurse Allison Conyers, who is the district’s COVID coordinator, sent a letter to Brookside families noting an increase in staff and students who have tested positive for COVID-19. In the first week back from April break, five cases were reported among students and staff who were infectious while at school. Last week through Wednesday, seven more cases were reported, she said. “Most of these cases are concentrated in our kindergarten classrooms. We have not seen a connection with students who ride the same bus,” Conyers noted.
Students and staff who test positive need to stay home for five days or until symptoms improve and they do not have a fever. The letter also shares links to Health Department resources for testing, vaccinations and monitoring symptoms.
Daily average cases, hospitalizations, deaths increase
Around the state, Vermont saw multiple days last week with more than 300 cases reported through PCR testing only. The daily average over the past week has grown to 343 as of Monday’s report which tallied cases over the weekend.
Results from home tests that individuals report are tracked separately by the Health Department and updated weekly on Tuesdays. The latest data for the week of April 24 showed 1,155 cases reported to the Health Department, down slightly from the 1,183 the previous week. That information will be updated on May 10.
On Monday, the Vermont Department of Health reported 829 cases from Friday-Sunday; 74 people were hospitalized, up from 64 on Friday; 11 were in intensive care, down from 14 on Friday.
Locally, testing continues daily at Waterbury Ambulance Service at 1727 Guptil Road. The testing site offers both take-home test kits and PCR tests. Testing site hours are Monday, Tuesday, Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday 1-7 p.m. Thursday 1-5 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Ambulance service staff also are providing COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots for anyone eligible from age 5 and up. Local pharmacies and health care providers also have vaccines available.
More information and appointment sign-ups for testing and vaccines are online at healthvermont.gov/covid-19.