COVID-19 update: Vermont preps for vaccine as cases hit new daily highs
December 12, 2020 | By Lisa Scagliotti
This slide from Vermont Department of Health data shows that COVID-19 cases in Vermont are multiplying at a faster rate now than earlier in the pandemic.
Gov. Phil Scott hailed news of approval of a COVID-19 vaccine late Friday while cases in Vermont and the nation continue to climb.
News from the Federal Drug Administration came Friday evening that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use, touching off a flurry of welcome messages from public health and government leaders.
“I join many across Vermont and the country in welcoming news of the first approved vaccine for COVID-19. This is an important milestone and a major – and essential – step toward defeating a virus that’s having devastating impacts on families and businesses throughout Vermont and around the globe,” Gov. Scott said in a statement Friday evening.
That official step will now set in motion a herculean effort across the country to deploy the vaccine to the most at risk of infection. The United States cases Friday were approaching 16 million with deaths nearing 300,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
“I want all Vermonters to know we’ve had a team of talented experts working for months to prepare for what will be an unprecedented effort to deliver safe and effective coronavirus vaccines. The process will be difficult, and we are ready,” Gov. Scott said.
In Vermont, the governor in his press briefing Friday morning said the highest priority vaccine recipients will be those in nursing homes – both residents and caregivers in those settings. Next would come healthcare workers who are dealing directly with COVID-19 patients, state officials said.
In the meantime, however, the rest of the population will need to continue adhering to public health guidance to limit the spread of the virus until the vaccine can be made available to the general public, a step Vermont’s Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said likely won’t happen until late spring.
Gov. Scott reinforced that message in his evening statement on the vaccine news: “This is a significant step forward, but we still have months of discipline and hard work ahead of us. Until enough people are vaccinated, it is critical we remain vigilant. So, I urge all Vermonters to continue wearing a mask in public, keeping six feet apart, avoiding crowds and gatherings and quarantining when required,” Scott said. “Together, we can keep each other safe as we work our way towards the end of the tunnel.”
The news of the vaccine came as state officials Friday shared data showing higher daily case counts, but not a “surge on a surge” following the Thanksgiving holiday as some feared.
“None of our recent contact tracing efforts have revealed clusters of cases coming from this holiday,” Dr. Levine said. “We hope this means that Vermonters either avoided Thanksgiving gatherings or kept them small… and we truly appreciate that.”
Yet, frequent daily case counts near or exceeding 100 should not be the norm, Levine said. Some of the most recent rapid increase in cases has been at long-term care facilities for the elderly. State data shared Friday showed 306 active cases in nursing homes across the state.
Vermont’s cases this week have passed 5,500 and deaths now number 93 as of Friday’s Department of Health COVID-19 data report. Although all counties have seen growth in cases, Chittenden County has the highest increase over the past two weeks with 473 cases; Washington and Franklin counties by comparison had the second- and third-highest numbers of cases with 154 and 151 respectively for that time period.
The weekly town-by-town case map released on Fridays has been revised to show a rolling two-week concentration of cases. It also contains a table with the total numbers of cases by town since record keeping began in March.
The case count for Waterbury this week increased by six new cases to 53. The data is current through Dec. 9. Looking at nearby towns, Stowe logged nine new cases in the past week for a total of 51 to date; others include slight increases such as Waitsfield up by two cases to 15; Middlesex and Moretown each are up three cases for a total of 16 for each.
Gov. Phil Scott speaks at his Friday COVID-19 press briefing in Montpelier. Screenshot.
Dr. Levine cautioned Vermonters to not relax their vigilance regarding public health guidance over the holidays. “There are simply more people with COVID-19 in our communities right now, and more potential for exposure,” Levine said. “We need to take that into account as we plan for and celebrate the holidays. As the CDC, and our current guidance says, staying home is still the best way to protect ourselves, our families and others right now.”
State officials on Friday did not announce any new information about the start of the winter season for school and recreational sports which have been put on hold indefinitely. Gov. Scott said the prevalence of the virus spreading in communities is too high to allow for athletics that will initiate more gatherings. "We don't look at it as punishment, it's just the reality," he said.
COVID-19 local testing schedule
Local COVID-19 testing sites continue to operate daily in multiple locations in and near Waterbury. Mark Podgwaite, executive director of Waterbury Ambulance Service which is running several sites, shared these schedule details through Dec. 20.
Waterbury Ambulance Station, 1727 Guptil Road: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday 5-8 p.m.
Berlin, 3336 Airport Rd. (rear of building): Weekends and daily (except Friday) 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Friday 4-7 p.m.
Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom (use Old County Road entrance): Sunday, Dec. 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Individuals seeking tests should sign up for an appointment on the Vermont Department of Health website: healthvermont.gov/covid-19/testing/where-get-tested
New public appeal for volunteers
Vermont Human Services Secretary Mike Smith announced Friday that the state is looking for Vermonters who can help with the COVID-19 response in long-term care facilities and other areas.
Medical workers are needed in both paid and volunteer roles, Smith said, adding that individuals in many circumstances are asked to consider volunteering to help fill “gaps in the system” suggesting that part-time workers, retirees, unemployed individuals, even college students could be of help as regular staff are sidelined due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
A new website created for people to sign up is online at covidstaffing.vermont.gov.
COVID-19 updates added to VT-ALERT
Gov. Scott announced Friday that the state’s emergency alert system will now be used to convey important COVID-19-related messages to the public and he encouraged more people to sign up for the alerts through the state’s emergency notification system, VT-ALERT.
The system warns Vermonters of imminent hazards such as severe weather and power outages. Vermont Emergency Management Director Erica Bornemann said “the system will send out important updates to the Governor’s Executive Order, and other announcements that will directly impact Vermonters.”
Alerts are sent via phone, text, and email and users can customize the categories of messages they prefer to receive by message type, delivery method and geographic area. Learn more and sign up for alerts at vtalert.gov.
For more resources and data on COVID-19 in Vermont, visit the Department of Health’s website at healthvermont.gov.