VDH: Cumulative COVID-19 cases (left) and cases per 10,000 population (right). Chittenden County has had the most cases, while Bennington has had the highest levels per capita, followed by Orleans County.
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today reported more than double the cases from yesterday with 268 new cases of COVID-19 (121 Wednesday). While many regions of the country and world experienced a sharp increase and sharp decline of Delta variant cases in a 7-9 week window, Vermont is now into its 10th week and has shown a slower ascent and still no plateau in new cases. Case counts in the Northeast Kingdom are among the most stubbornly high, with Orleans County alone reporting 66 new cases today (by far the most in the state) and 293 over the last two weeks.
The VDH also reported today no deaths, which remain at 301 statewide (none since Tuesday). There are 40 people hospitalized (down two from yesterday) and 14 in the ICU (unchanged).
Hospitalizations have been elevated recently, but below pandemic peaks. Vermont still has the lowest hospitalization, case count and fatality rate in the nation, as well as the highest full vaccination rate.
The FDA is expected to give emergency approval for a lower-dose Pfizer vaccine to be administered to children 5-11 in October.
For those already eligible, a third Pfizer ("booster") shot could be available as early as next week, pending FDA approval. It is only for those who previously received a Pfizer dose and who are either over 65 or at a high risk for serious illness.
Still, Human Service Secretary Mike Smith said this would still represent about 113,000 Vermonters.
Health Commissioner Levine expects the pandemic will become an endemic virus, like the common cold eventually, with people getting an annual flu shot to combat it. He said COVID-19 will always be with us, but as more people build up immunities from the vaccine and/or contracting the virus, it will become less dangerous.
The state will also begin requiring all state employees who have not been vaccinated to wear a mask and get tested regularly. This is a mandate. Only one school in the state (Canaan) does not require masks. The governor would like to see not only all schools to require either vaccines and masking, but all public and private employers. This is expected to boost vaccination rates and lower infection rates.
Health officials keep reminding the public that because the Delta variant passes from person to person so easily, it is especially important for everyone to follow these basic prevention steps:
- Get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible
- Wear a mask when in public indoor settings
- Stay home if you feel sick
- Get tested if you have any symptoms, may be a close contact, or have taken part in activities that could put you at risk, such as large gatherings
- Wash your hands regularly
In addition, people who do test positive, or think you might be a close contact of someone who did, can take action even before they hear from the Health Department. Visit healthvermont.gov/covid-19 so you can act right away to protect yourself and to prevent further spread.
Cases among children 5-14 continue to grow, as cases among the general Vermont population have declined (this age group is not yet available for a vaccination, though they could become eligible soon from the CDC).
Those who are fully vaccinated have seen case rates going down, while those who are eligible but not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated are seeing case rates and hospitalizations still increasing.
See full Department of Financial Regulation report HERE.
The young adult age bands from 18 to 29 continue to show the lowest rate of vaccination, despite college students achieving a 94.7 percent vaccination rate (all 16 institutions reporting with a total of 28,624 students).
In the 70-74-year-old age band, 100 percent of eligible Vermonters have been vaccinated. In all, according to the CDC, 87.4 percent of eligible Vermonters have been vaccinated, with 78.2 percent fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Secretary French is urging school staff to get vaccinated to reduce COVID-19 transmission. He said Tuesday that COVID-19 in schools is a reflection of the virus in the community. Children under 12 are not yet eligible for any COVID vaccine, leaving them susceptible to catching the disease, and then transmitting it.
He added that social distancing is not a solution, as sufficient indoor capacity is not available in most schools. He also said that in-person education is the best way to meet educational and social/emotional goals, especially for younger children.
Wearing a mask has been an effective way to reduce the chance of transmission and state guidance urges all school districts to require masks and to continue in-person education.
French said the evidence from last year was that remote learning resulted in poor educational attainment and a loss of social connections for students.
He said surveillance testing and contact tracing would continue to be deployed statewide to try and stay ahead of outbreaks.
COVID-19 Fall Contact Tracing Process
PreK-12 schools will conduct internal contact tracing investigations when a student or staff was present in school or was at a school event while infectious. Schools may learn of these school exposures when a family or staff notifies school administrators directly or when the Health Department identifies an exposure during contact tracing and alerts the school. When schools learn of an exposure, schools will:
1. Verify the student or staff was at school while infectious.
2. Identify all vaccinated and unvaccinated close contacts in the school setting.
3. Meet with the Health Department as needed to review the situation, conduct an exposure risk assessment and discuss close contact determinations.
4. Notify close contacts at the school of their exposure using the “quarantine letter” provided by the Health Department and provide testing guidance as needed. This letter includes guidance for both vaccinated and unvaccinated close contacts. The Health Department will not follow up with close contacts that the school notifies, unless there is a need identified by the school for specific scenarios (e.g. need for translation services, family or staff unwilling to share vaccination status with school, etc.).
5. Provide a line list to the Health Department with information about all vaccinated and unvaccinated close contacts identified.
Strategies to Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Contact Tracing Process
The purpose of these strategies is to help strike an operational balance between public health and educational goals: we want to keep students safe from COVID-19 but also maximize their ability to attend school.
One approach to striking this balance is to identify close contacts as quickly as possible. Another approach is to recommend testing instead of quarantining when the exposure status is unknown.
Determination of Vaccination Status
Under CDC and Vermont guidelines, vaccinated close contacts who are asymptomatic are not required to quarantine. Schools may use local vaccination status information to determine if individuals are vaccinated. The process for obtaining vaccination status information was outlined in the memo Calculating A School's Vaccination Rate. Schools should ensure they obtain proof of vaccination as outlined in this memo.
Recess
The risks to students outside are far less than when they are indoors. A school should notify families of a potential exposure during recess/outdoor time and make testing recommendations for 3-5 days after the potential exposure, but not put students in quarantine unless clear close contact has been identified. A template letter for these potential exposures is available on the Health Department’s PreK-12 Schools page. If teachers/playground monitors can easily identify close contacts (Maggie and Jo always play together closely), those students should be put in quarantine.
Lunchroom
Whole lunchrooms should not be automatically quarantined. A risk assessment should include physical proximity to a suspected case. Anyone within 6 feet of an infectious person for 15 minutes or more is considered a close contact. Seating charts for lunchrooms will minimize the number of students who are identified as close contacts. When possible, classroom groups should be maintained during lunchtime.
Siblings
A sibling to a close contact is not a close contact just because they are a sibling. In these situations, a sibling should not be quarantined unless identified as a close contact themselves to a verified case.
Music
Review the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Framework for High-Risk Activities in PreK-12 for an understanding of the relative risks involved in music activities, and for understanding how the size of the room and the distance between musicians can impact the identification of close contacts. Larger rooms such as auditoriums can minimize close contacts.
School Buses
Entire buses of students should not be automatically quarantined. A risk assessment should include physical proximity to a case on a bus, and to what extent there was consistency in mask wearing while riding. Anyone within 6 feet of an infectious person for 15 minutes or more is considered a close contact. Having seating charts for buses will minimize the number of students who are identified as close contacts. Opening bus windows in accordance with prior year guidance will help mitigate transmission.
Seating Charts
Classroom seating charts should be maintained for all instructional spaces in classrooms where students are under 12 years old and updated on a weekly basis.
Recommendations for Communications
Protecting the medical privacy of students and staff is important. These recommendations are intended to balance the needs for privacy protection and clear, communications, when there is a positive COVID-19 case in your school community:
• When communicating with your school community, take steps to ensure the positive person’s identify is protected.
• Do not use names OR any other information that could be identifying including the positive person’s role in the facility, information about the activities the positive person participates in, whether the positive person has siblings, etc.
• Consider using the phrase “a member of our learning community tested positive” when communicating with the school community.
School Mask Recommendations
COVID-19 Prevention Strategies for the Opening of Schools
Stay Home When Sick
School health personnel should use the COVID-19 in Pediatric Patients Flow Chart (Pre-K – Grade 12) Triage, Evaluation, Testing, and Return to School in partnership with pediatric providers and families to guide medical decision-making.
Students and staff who are sick should stay home. This is the most important prevention message.
All students and staff should stay home if they:
• Show symptoms of COVID-19;
• Have a fever (temperature greater than 100.4°F); or
• Are currently in quarantine due to close contact with an individual with COVID-19 or in isolation due to testing positive for COVID-19.
If symptoms begin while at school, the student or staff member should be sent home as soon as possible, and the individual should be isolated from other staff and students until they can go home.
Masks
To allow school districts time to calculate the percentage of currently eligible students who have received two doses of a two-dose vaccine, schools should require universal masking for all students and staff when indoors until October 4, 2021. Currently, all Vermonters ages 12 and older are eligible to be vaccinated.
After October 4, 2021, masks should no longer be required for all those eligible for vaccination when the vaccination rate (two doses of a two-dose vaccine) among students is equal to or greater than 80% of the school’s currently eligible population.
Masks should be required indoors for students younger than 12, who are not eligible to be vaccinated at this time.
Masks, when required, may be removed when needed for instructional or operational purposes.
Masks are currently required for all passengers on buses per federal regulation, regardless of age or vaccination status.
Masks should not be required outdoors.
Guidance will be updated when vaccine eligibility expands.
Surveillance Testing and Contact Tracing
Surveillance testing will be offered to schools for both students and staff.
Schools should continue to participate in contact tracing as requested by the Health Department.
More information on what to do when there is a positive COVID-19 case in PreK-12 schools, childcare centers, camps and out of school programs and contact tracing can be found on the Vermont Department of Health website.
Today's vaccination and COVID-19 case dashboards are below.
Governor Scott has announced a series of walk-in vaccination clinics that will be open at schools and other sites across Vermont this week for anyone age 12 or older. See full list below.
Just walk-in or visit www.healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine to make an appointment. You can also call 855-722-7878.
Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said that there are still many testing sites around the state, but urged people to make an appointment, preferably online, to avoid wait times.
The vaccination sites listed below also offer additional doses for those currently eligible based on guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some primary care providers and pharmacies are also offering additional doses. Check with your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Dr Levine expects more information from the FDA soon on those "third doses" for the general population soon. The FDA advisory panel is meeting September 17 on whether to recommend the Pfizer vaccine for the third (“booster”) dose of Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) in individuals 16 years of age and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine boosters are still in development.
Dr Levine also expects positive news soon on vaccines for children under 12, who are all currently ineligible for any COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccination Clinics
Governor Phil Scott also has announced a series of walk-in vaccination clinics that will be open at schools and other sites across Vermont this week for anyone age 12 or older. Just walk-in or visit www.healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine to make an appointment. You can also call 855-722-7878.
The vaccination sites listed below also offer additional doses for those currently eligible based on guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some primary care providers and pharmacies are also offering additional doses. Check with your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Here are the vaccination sites available this week:
Thursday, September 23
Barre Town EMS, 4 McLaughlin Road, East Barre
Health Care & Rehabilitation Services Hartford, 49 School Street, Hartford
Burr and Burton Academy, 57 Seminary Ave, Manchester
North Country Junior High School, 57 Junior High Drive, Newport
Friday, September 24
1311 Barre Montpelier Road, Berlin
Newport Waterfront Plaza, Newport
Waterbury Ambulance, 1727 Guptil Road, Waterbury Center
Champlain Valley Union High School, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg
Morristown Elementary, 548 Park Street, Morristown
Springfield High School, 303 South Street, Springfield
Saturday, September 25
Morefest at the Moretown Elementary School, 940 VT Route 100-B, Moretown
New England Street Food Festival at the Kampfires Campground, 792 U.S. Route 5, Dummerston
Canaan High School, 99 School Street, Canaan
Grand Isle Elementary School, 224 U.S. Route 2, Grand Isle
Sunday, September 26
Ascutney Outdoor Club, 499 Ski Tow Road, West Windsor
Lake Region High School, 317 Lake Region Road, Orleans
Spaulding High School, 155 Ayers Street, Barre
Monday, September 27
Barre Town EMS, 4 McLaughlin Road, East Barre
Rescue Inc. Division 1 Station, 541 Canal Street, Brattleboro
Academy School, 860 Western Ave, Brattleboro
Edmunds Middle School, 275 Main Street, Burlington
The EDGE Sports & Fitness, 142 West Twin Oaks Terrace, South Burlington
More ways to get your free vaccine:
Make an appointment for a free vaccine
You can also walk-in at CVS, Hannaford Food and Drug, Walmart, Walgreens, Price Chopper/Market 32, Rite Aid, Shaw’s Supermarket, or Costco or get an appointment with Kinney Drugs, CVS, Walgreens, Northfield Pharmacy, or UVMMC Outpatient Pharmacies.
| DATE | SITE | TIME | TOWN | VACCINE TYPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/28 | School Clinic: Hartford High School 37 Highland Ave. |
9:00 am - 12:00 pm | White River Junction | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 09/28 | School Clinic: Milton Elementary School 42 Herrick Ave. |
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Milton | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 09/29 | EMS Clinic 1311 Barre Montpelier Rd. (behind Burger King) |
2:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Berlin | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 09/29 | EMS Clinic Waterbury Ambulance 1727 Guptil Rd. |
1:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Waterbury Center | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 09/29 | School Clinic: Mount Mansfield Union High School 211 Browns Trace Rd. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Jericho | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 09/29 | School Clinic: Colchester Middle School 425 Blakely Rd. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Colchester | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 09/30 | School Clinic: Essex High School 2 Educational Dr. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Essex Junction | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 09/30 | School Clinic: Rutland High School 22 Stratton Rd. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Rutland | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/01 | EMS Clinic 1311 Barre Montpelier Rd. (behind Burger King) |
2:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Berlin | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/01 | EMS Clinic Waterbury Ambulance 1727 Guptil Rd. |
9:00 am - 6:00 pm | Waterbury Center | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/01 | School Clinic: Mt. Abraham Union High School 220 Airport Dr. |
2:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Bristol | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/01 | School Clinic: Bellows Falls Union High School 406 High School Rd. |
2:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Westminster | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/04 | School Clinic: Woodstock High School 100 Amsden Way |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Woodstock | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/04 | School Clinic: Randolph Union High School 15 Forest St. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Randolph | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/04 | School Clinic: Twin Valley Middle and High School 4299 VT-100 |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Whitingham | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/05 | School Clinic: Green Mountain Tech Center 738 VT-15 |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Hyde Park | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/06 | School Clinic: Oxbow High School 36 Oxbow Dr. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Bradford | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/06 | School Clinic: Brattleboro Union High School 131 Fairground Rd. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Brattleboro | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/06 | School Clinic: Bellows Free Academy Fairfax 75 Hunt St. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Fairfax | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/07 | School Clinic: Bellows Free Academy Fairfax 75 Hunt St. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Fairfax | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/07 | School Clinic: South Burlington High School 550 Dorset St. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | S. Burlington | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/08 | School Clinic: Middlebury High School 73 Charles Ave. |
9:00 am - 5:00 pm | Middlebury | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/08 | School Clinic: Blue Mountain High School 2420 US-302 |
2:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Wells River | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/08 | School Clinic: St. Johnsbury Academy 1000 Main St. |
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm | St. Johnsbury | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/09 | School Clinic: Richford Junior/Senior High School 1 Corliss Heights |
2:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Richford | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/09 | Indigenous Peoples' Day Rocks! Mayo Events Field 80 Weeks Hill Rd., Quiet Path Endpoint |
10:30 am - 1:00 pm | Stowe | Johnson & Johnson (single dose) |
| 10/09 | School Clinic: St. Johnsbury Academy 1000 Main St. |
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm | St. Johnsbury | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/09 | School Clinic: U32 High School 930 Gallison Hill Rd. |
2:00 pm - 8:00 pm | Montpelier | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
| 10/11 | School Clinic: Missisquoi Valley Union High School 175 Thunderbird Dr. |
9:00 am - 2:00 pm | Swanton | Pfizer (first or second dose) |
Vaccination & COVID-19 Dashboards