With Covid-19 cases rising in Vermont and elsewhere, state officials on Friday walked a careful line on the topic of the approaching holidays.
One official after another stepped forward at the governor’s regular Covid-19 press conference to strongly discourage get-togethers and avoid travel.
Nobody came out and said that Vermonters shouldn’t see friends and family. But they repeatedly urged Vermonters to limit gatherings to fewer than 10 people and to stay home for the upcoming holidays.
“You need to consider whether your trip or gathering is worth the risk to you and your family,” said Education Secretary Dan French, who like health officials and Gov. Phil Scott drew a direct link between the state’s safety guidelines and the community’s ability to continue sending children to school for in-person instruction.
With the Covid-19 rate surging in countries around the world, there’s no need to panic in Vermont, but “it’s time for us to focus on the things we can control,” said Health Commissioner Mark Levine. “Our plans and choices will have an impact on the health and lives of our families and communities. I am strongly urging people to lay low this season and forgo non-essential travel.”
Only six counties in the region — one in Pennsylvania, one in New York, and four in Maine — have case counts low enough to allow free travel. Everywhere else in the Northeast is off-limits without a two week quarantine.
Officials Friday repeatedly linked safe behavior in the community to better outcomes for Vermont’s children. In-person instruction is best for kids academically and emotionally, and reducing social gatherings is the way Vermonters can help schools provide it, said Dr. Rebecca Bell, the president of the state’s local chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She added that the state has seen little Covid-19 transmission in schools. Vermont has had 39 school-related cases since schools opened in September, including students and staff.
“Pediatricians want to highlight the good work that schools are doing and to implore Vermonters to follow health department guidelines around masking, distancing, avoiding crowded spaces, adhering to travel guidelines, getting the flu shot and staying home when sick,” said Bell. “The days get darker and colder, and as we enter the holiday season, following the guidelines will be more important than ever, in order to keep kids in school.”
Case Numbers
Vermont’s Covid-19 case count is the highest since April, with 278 reported in the last two weeks.
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Vermont has 11 outbreaks underway around the state, Levine said. The largest, which was sparked by a gathering related to Montpelier ice hockey teams, has infected 116 people, though the rate of infection has slowed. That includes 69 cases among students at St. Michael’s College.
Other recent outbreaks in Chittenden County have been connected to family gatherings, as well as by cases at the University of Vermont. After six students tested positive this week, the university will offer a Covid testing site this weekend, Levine said.
Meanwhile, cases have also spiked in neighboring states. On Thursday, New Hampshire reported more than 250 cases – 10 times the number in Vermont for a state with twice Vermont’s population. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker instituted a 10 p.m. curfew to curb the spread of the virus.
In anticipation of greater exposure during the holidays, Vermont will offer more frequent testing and make it more easily available. There’s “a clear message that we need to up our game in order to protect ourselves and our communities and prevent widespread infections,” Levine said.
Human Services Secretary Mike Smith vowed to increase Covid testing to seven days a week, as well as offer widespread surveillance testing for certain populations such as school workers and public safety officials.
Those who do gather for the holidays or travel to other states to see family should plan to get a Covid test after they return, Levine added.
Scott made it clear that the state’s advisory about limiting travel over the holidays is not a mandate. The state might increase the recommended restrictions some more, depending on the data, but he doesn’t expect things to close down as completely as they did at the start of the pandemic, in March.
“I think what we need to do is tighten up a little bit; we’ve become a little bit lax in all areas,” Scott said. “But I don’t see us rolling back to where we were in the beginning, because we have a little bit better understanding of what this virus does and how to protect ourselves.”
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November 07, 2020 at 03:20AM
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Officials urge Vermonters to limit gatherings to 10 and discourage holiday travel - vtdigger.org
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