COVID-19 Daily Update
March 16, 2021
New or updated information is in red and bold
This update is available online at healthvermont.gov/covid19
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Officials Emphasize Prevention as Vaccination Ramps Up
State officials said at Tuesday’s press conference that nearly 153,000 Vermonters — or about 28% of the age 16+ population — have now been vaccinated. Nearly 83,000 Vermonters have received their first and last doses.
Governor Phil Scott said he received encouraging information from his call on Tuesday with White House officials and fellow governors. In the first weekly governors’ call since President Joe Biden directed states to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by May 1, Gov. Scott said he is optimistic that Vermont will be able to exceed that eligibility goal.
Gov. Scott said that he expects to share the full remaining vaccination eligibility schedule for Vermonters on Friday.
He also said he expects Vermont to be back to a "pre-pandemic normal" by the Fourth of July. But he also said that there would continue to be health guidance regarding mask wearing and other mitigation measures going forward after that because "the virus will still be with us."
As we wait for more allocation of vaccine and are able to vaccinate more Vermonters, health officials urged everyone to double down on prevention. Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said this is especially in light of the detection this week of the more highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant among four Vermont specimens sent for genomic sequencing. This brings the total number of samples with this variant to five.
“The variants of concern we’ve found here make the virus spread more easily from person to person, and we need to do everything we can to stop that spread, to reduce the chances for additional mutations and strains,” Dr. Levine said.
“Take a look at your mask to see if you can get a better fit. Or even double mask — the CDC website will show you how,” said Dr. Levine. “Or, if you’re considering a visit somewhere where there are a lot of people, do it later when it’s less crowded. And as always, if you don’t feel well, stay home. The choices we make can make a big difference… for ourselves, our loved ones and our communities.”
Video Answers Questions About COVID-19 Vaccine & Pregnancy — 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.
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 16, 2021
Data is updated daily.
|
Description |
Number |
||
|
New cases* |
53 (17,047 total) |
||
|
Currently hospitalized |
24 |
||
|
Hospitalized in ICU |
3 |
||
|
Hospitalized under investigation |
1 |
||
|
Percent Positive (7-day average) |
1.3% |
||
|
People tested |
342,688 |
||
|
Total tests |
1,197,954 |
||
|
Total people recovered |
14,301 |
||
|
Deaths+ |
215 |
Find more data on COVID-19 Activity at: healthvermont.gov/currentactivity.
COVID-19 Vaccine Data
As of 12 p.m. on March 16, 2021
Data is updated Tuesdays through Saturdays.
|
Description |
Number |
||
|
Total people who have received least one dose of vaccine |
152,754 |
||
|
Total people who have received two doses of vaccine (completed) |
82,666 |
Find more vaccine data on the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard: healthvermont.gov/covid19-vaccine-data.
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.