by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott once again began his media briefing today by supporting the demonstrations that happened across the state over the weekend regarding the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent Black Lives Matter response.
He said he was proud of Vermonters both for the stand they're taking and for the peaceful way in which they’re doing it.
He reminded Vermonters that while their First Amendment rights were important that it was also important to undertake them with public safety in mind and to use the same health guidelines whenever one is in public to reduce the chance of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19.
Reporters during the Q&A portion of the briefing, which started at 11 am Monday, asked about the “fairness” of allowing and supporting these demonstrations while still not allowing other large gatherings.
One question related to school board meetings, as several districts have not yet passed a school budget.
Another set of questions related more generally to large gatherings like weddings.
Scott said that the 25-person rule was still in force but in the case of the demonstrations it was not really enforceable.
The governor has been adamant about not wanting to create confrontation in any of the health guidance, whether it is in mask-wearing or gatherings.
He’s asked Vermonters to use commonsense and be considerate of fellow Vermonters.
As seen across the nation, confrontation has only led to worse outcomes, he said.
In that spirit, he noted that the woman in St Johnsbury who fell downstairs after being contacted by a local police officer has met with that officer and resolved the situation.
He thanked them both for their leadership and called it a “teachable moment” for all of us.
Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, previously stated, for instance, that mask-wearing reduces the chance of contracting or transmitting the virus.
As for the school board question asked today, he said there are several factors that go into transmission, including how close the contact, the duration, whether inside or outside, and spending two hours even in a spacious gym offers a greater risk than simply going to Walmart.
State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso said that casually walking past someone at a store with a mask on is not considered exposure.
But much of the remarks by Governor Scott and Dr Levine and Dr Kelso involved the Winooski outbreak.
Dr Levine said the first case was identified on Memorial Day.
There are now 62 cases and he expected there will be more related to it.
However, he said that they feel they have the situation “boxed-in.”
He and Dr Kelso were very reluctant to offer any more specific information about who this interconnected group of people in this outbreak was or how it was transmitted.
It appears that it was more than one family involved but that the outbreak does not appear to have spread into the community-at-large.
Of the 62 cases so far, 48 are residents of Winooski, nine are from Burlington and five from other nearby towns.
Dr Levine said they are working with the mayors of the two cities to offer help to the people involved, who may need food and other assistance and perhaps even a hotel room if someone would need to isolate.
He said there could be multi-generational families involved who could have elderly or otherwise vulnerable members of the group.
He said 38 of the cases were of adults (so 24 were children), the median age was 21, none are hospitalized and only 20 percent were even symptomatic. He said this could be due to the Health Department catching it early or even because the average age was so young.
He said because they have drawn a fire line (as the governor put it) around this outbreak, residents of Winooski and Burlington need not fear going out.
The cities, for instance, have not shut down their restaurants, which opened for indoor dining today.
Dr Levine said they expected outbreaks and more positive cases across the state and are better prepared to handle the situation.
He also noted that Winooski and Burlington are the two most diverse communities in Vermont. He said it was important for the state to work on “cultural competency and communication” in order to fully assist the communities in limiting the spread of the virus.
Levine said, “Between the state and all of our local partners, there is a tremendous menu of services we can offer.”
He said the Winooski outbreak is a good reminder that despite the low case counts in Vermont, the novel coronavirus is still among us and that everyone across the state should still practice physical distancing, handwashing, facial coverings and staying home if sick and getting a COVID test.
Another pop-up site is available in Burlington and the one in Winooski is still open. On Saturday, about 900 people were tested in Winooski.
Of course, there are no deaths associated with the Winooski outbreak and there has not been a death from COVID-19 in Vermont in 11 days, since May 28.
In a quote that certainly will be repeated, Dr Levine said, “There is no shame in getting the virus. It spreads because we share the air we breathe.”
Dr Kelso said if there were multiple outbreaks statewide they could trace 900 new cases a week if necessary.
State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso
There have been 1,075 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Vermont since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.
Because of a presumed case related to someone who was at a nursing home in Rutland, everyone at that Mountain View Center nursing home (owned by Genesis Healthcare), staff and residents, are getting tested.
However, the VDH announced later Monday that the Rutland case was a false positive and that there are no new cases at the Rutland nursing home. The systemwide testing was subsequently canceled.
Recreational Sports Back In Action
Governor Scott also announced that non-contact recreational sports may resume June 15 with games allowed starting July 1.
This is for recreational-level sports, not college or professional, and is for things like Little League and softball leagues, lacrosse and soccer. Football, basketball and wrestling would not be allowed.
For the sports going forward, the number of players plus coaches would be limited to 25 with proper physical distancing or mask-wearing depending on the situation. Spectators also would be limited to 25.
Scott noted that the professional sports aren't moving any faster in restarting.
"We have to walk before we run," Scott said, and this will offer guidance as to the health impact.
It will also offer guidance in how to handle not only sports but how the public schools and colleges can reopen in the fall.
Lawmakers To Offer Own Financial Stimulus Plan
The House and Senate are working on their own financial stimulus plan in contrast to the plan Governor Scott put forth in late May.
VBSR summarized the general legislative draft in a response to the draft issued today.
While VBSR was concerned that the financial requirements appeared tight and included emergency funds initially only to those businesses that had suffered a monthly loss of 75 percent of revenues, the governor was also concerned about the timing.
At the press briefing today, he said he still wanted the full $400 million he had earmarked but believed the upwards of $100 million in the legislative plans could offer a quick fix. But it needs to be quick.
He said the House and Senate are working on separate plans. A final bill could be on this desk by the end of next week.
However, he said, it would be another few weeks after that before businesses could see the assistance.
The governor and businesses have urged haste in trying to keep businesses alive.
The draft legislative plan also appears, even when fully implemented, to be tens of millions less than the governor’s plan with more restrictions.
"I am concerned they are not committing the entire package, the $400 million to this desperate need," Scott said.
"I think the entire picture is fairly bleak."
The governor urged businesses and nonprofits to contact their legislators.
Nursing Home Visitation
Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said that a new visitation policy is in the works and will be presented to Governor Scott this week.
He declined to give much detail about it, other than saying it would include visitation at hospitals also, which have strict visitation rules too.
Smith said this has been an on-going concern in the administration and at the health care and long-term care facilities.
Governor Scott's Press Secretary Rebecca Kelley is the MC for the press briefings and can be heard calling out the reporters to keep things moving.
People in nursing homes, in particular, have not been able to see loved ones since March, which is clearly hard on them and on family and friends.
Closing the nursing homes was one of the first acts the state undertook after the pandemic hit. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and there were outbreaks at two Burlington nursing homes early on, where several residents died.
Some of the possible visitation rules could include some sort of outside meeting with appropriate health protocols.
It does not sound like there will be any close-contact meetings under this new guidance.
Homelessness and Food
Secretary Smith also addressed the current situation with homeless Vermonters being housed in hotels and motels.
While this has sometimes been used on a temporary basis, it became necessary on a systemwide basis because the shelters were closed because of COVID-19.
Smith said the hotel emergency plan is not sustainable because 1) It is too expensive and 2) It does not provide the services necessary to the homeless.
Smith said there are over 1,000 people in this hotel program.
The Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness stated today that as of the end of May, there were 1,489 persons in state-funded General Assistance hotels.
Smith also wants the emergency food assistance to be transitioned back to the regular food shelves. The food shelves have been working hard to keep up the state has had to offer significant assistance.
There have been dramatic scenes in which Vermonters have lined up in cars at several sites across the state as food insecurity has been another result of the pandemic. Roads have even been blocked off in Burlington and Berlin to provide food.
Smith said AHS has been working to streamline the food assistance programs like 3SquaresVT. But they are also working with even online food services to ensure that those who need food delivered will be served.
The Department of Disabilities Aging and Independent Living has expanded its services and eligibility requirements.
Again, he added, these are emergency services and are not sustainable, but are necessary now. They are working to find a transition back to a more sustainable level of services.
Single-Use Plastic Bag
The single-use plastic bag ban will go into effect as planned effective July 1, Scott confirmed.
Stores will be allowed to use up their inventory even if it extended over that deadline, but they will not be allowed to restock their supplies.
The small flimsy bags for vegetables and fruit will still be available and paper bags will be offered at checkout.
Scott said Dr Levine has previously noted that reusable bags that had become popular before COVID-19 are not considered a source of transmission of the virus.
Early on there was concern that those reusable bags could bring the virus into the store, but newer data suggests that it is not a concern.
Scott said customers therefore can bring their own bag now and in the future.