Health Department responds to cluster of COVID-19 cases in Windham County

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is continuing to investigate and respond to a small cluster of COVID-19 cases in Windham County to prevent further spread.

“While the appearance of cases can cause uncertainty within the community, to protect their privacy, we cannot provide additional details about the individuals,” said Deputy State Epidemiologist Laura Ann Nicolai. “We do want people to know that, as we do in all cases, we are identifying and contacting those at risk, facilitating testing, and providing guidance for isolation or quarantine as appropriate.”

Nicolai said the cases are currently limited to a small number of people with familial connections. There does not appear to be additional community spread associated with this situation.

Because COVID-19 spreads easily from person-to-person, these types of investigations are becoming more common ─ especially as more sectors open back up, and more people are getting together with family and friends and others in their communities.

“We’ve seen that COVID-19 cases can crop up anywhere, that’s the nature of this virus,” said Laura Overton, director of the department’s Brattleboro Local Health Office. “But if we work together, we can protect one another within our community.”

The Health Department encourages the members of the greater Brattleboro community ─ and all Vermonters ─ to continue to follow the four rules of thumb to protect themselves and prevent spread of the virus: wear face coverings, keep a 6-foot distance from others, wash hands frequently, and stay home when sick.

The Brattleboro Local Health Office held a testing clinic Sunday and will continue testing at a clinic on Wednesday. People who have been contacted by the Health Department do not need an appointment.

Anyone interested in getting tested at one of the pop-up sites across the state can sign up for an upcoming appointment. Visit: https://humanresources.vermont.gov/popups

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Source: BRATTLEBORO, VT – Vermont Department of Health 6.23.2020