COVID-19 Daily Update
March 12, 2021
New or updated information is in red and bold
This update is available online at healthvermont.gov/covid19
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Gov. Scott Announces New Gathering Guidance for Unvaccinated Households
Governor Phil Scott announced Friday new gathering guidance for people who are not vaccinated: Two unvaccinated people or households can now gather at a time.
“You’re not limited to choose just one other household,” Scott said. “You can do so with multiple households, as long as it’s just one at any given time.”
People who are vaccinated “don’t count against the limit,” he said, and kids can have playdates again.
Gov. Scott also announced restaurants now will be able to seat six people at a table and they can be from different families.
“I know these changes are not as big as many other states have announced, including those in our region,” he said. “But we feel they’re positive and safe steps forward and you can expect another spigot turn next week.”
Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, reiterated that anyone who gathers with others who is not vaccinated still needs to follow guidance to prevent the spread of the virus — wearing masks and keeping at least a 6-foot distance.
“Remember how well we did with this last summer and early fall, before that first surge in cases. As Vermonters, we were able to live our lives while still taking those necessary steps to protect one another,” Dr. Levine said. “I know we can do that again, especially with our progress in vaccination. But this virus has not gone away. We are still seeing cases of COVID-19, and we know we are now dealing with a more transmissible variant.
He urged Vermonters to continue to keep any gathering as safe as possible by:
- Staying outside when you can
Choosing activities where you can keep masks on and maintain your distance. - Thinking about where you’ve been recently and whether it could put others at risk, especially if someone is at higher risk.
- Having the “COVID talk”: negotiate boundaries with others and establish expectations before you get together.
- And always avoiding any gathering if you have symptoms of illness.
Health Commissioner Levine Receives His First Dose of Vaccine
Following the Governor’s press briefing on Tuesday, Dr. Levine received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Vermont Medical Center vaccination clinic at the Essex Fairgrounds.
Dr. Levine framed the moment in a way so many of us have been thinking as vaccine becomes more widely available, now, a year into the pandemic.
“We’ve been working so hard on getting the vaccine to Vermonters that I’ve hardly had a moment to reflect on what it means to me,” said Dr. Levine. “But, like many of you, I look forward to spending time with family and friends, to seeing my out of state son and his wife, and my daughter and her husband, and hugging my granddaughter. And yes, hugging will be in order, and will be the doctor’s order for all of you who follow in my footsteps. Like many of you, while I feel grateful for Zoom, it has not come even close to making up for missing seeing her grow from a 5-month-old baby to a year and a half toddler.”
Acknowledging that after months of ‘talking the talk’ he now gets to ‘walk the walk,’ “I’ve said it before, but today I’ll get to show it — these vaccines are safe and effective,” Dr. Levine said. “It feels great to do my part in protecting our community and stopping this pandemic. I encourage all Vermonters to do the same as soon as they are eligible.”
As of Friday morning, with all of Phase 5 available to get vaccinated, 21,700 of the approximate 100,000 Vermonters have registered. This newest group includes everyone 65-69, school and child care staff and everyone over 16 with a serious health condition.
New COVID-19 Vaccine Video in Multiple Languages
A new Health Department video, Sara Asks, was inspired by community education sessions held with our partners to answer some commonly asked questions around the COVID-19 vaccine. This first video centers on pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility questions.
It is available in English, Arabic and Nepali, with more languages coming soon. The videos (and other resources) can be found on our Multilingual Resources web page.
Wondering what you can do now that you’re vaccinated?
Find a summary of guidance around prevention, gathering, travel and close contacts on our website: healthvermont.gov/myVaccine#vaccinated
New on healthvermont.gov
About 20% of outbreak-associated cases are attributed to workplaces. On average, there are 5 or fewer cases associated with an outbreak in a workplace, and nearly all of the cases associated with workplace outbreaks were among staff only. Learn more about workplace outbreaks in the latest Weekly Data Summary Spotlight.
COVID-19 Activity in Vermont
As of 12 p.m. on March 12, 2021
Data is updated daily.
|
Description |
Number |
||
|
New cases* |
121 (16,623 total) |
||
|
Currently hospitalized |
23 |
||
|
Hospitalized in ICU |
4 |
||
|
Hospitalized under investigation |
1 |
||
|
Percent Positive (7-day average) |
1.5% |
||
|
People tested |
340,210 |
||
|
Total tests |
1,170,887 |
||
|
Total people recovered |
13,893 |
||
|
Deaths+ |
212 |
Find more data on COVID-19 Activity at: healthvermont.gov/currentactivity.
COVID-19 Vaccine Data
As of 12 p.m. on March 11, 2021
Data is updated Tuesdays through Saturdays.
|
Description |
Number |
||
|
Total people who have received least one dose of vaccine |
138,738 |
||
|
Total people who have received two doses of vaccine (completed) |
73,754 |
Additional Resources About Vaccination and More
Find answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html.
Get Vermont-specific information in our Frequently Asked Questions.
Sign up for the COVID-19 Weekly Email Update.
Find information sheets, posters and toolkits, as well as translated materials on our Resources web page.