Renewal: a force for progress
A mountain view from Cloudland Road in Pomfret, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
After months of being a leader in its COVID-19 response, Vermont finds itself at a crossroads during a spike in cases, with the state urging adherence to public health guidance. But the solution goes deeper than science and data, although those are important. It’s about renewal of a quality Vermont has always had in spades: commitment to community.
The good news is, the state still has that commitment, rooted in the wonderful, heartfelt love of this special place we share with our neighbors. We just need that to translate into all people following public health guidance, not just for ourselves, but for the good of everyone. Part of that is a humble realization that we are not out of the woods yet in this pandemic, and we all have to play a role guiding this state to better days.
As many have mentioned in state press conferences, we’ve done this before. We’ve shown that commitment to each other many, many times, and Vermont is equal to defeating this virus and anything that would stand in the way of progress.
Progress against COVID-19 is something Vermont is familiar with. That work got Vermont impressive accolades from an impressive source on Sept. 15. That’s when Dr. Anthony Fauci, of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, praised Vermont’s COVID-19 response in a press briefing with Gov. Phil Scott. That day, Vermont had a test positivity rate of 0.2%.
"It should be the model of how you get to such a low test positivity that you can actually start opening up the economy in a safe and prudent way," Fauci said of Vermont’s approach. That approach included a prevalent adherence to public health guidance, buffered by a statewide mask mandate and a robust contact-tracing program that had gotten several outbreaks under control.
That day seems like light years ago. After the recent surge in cases, Vermont is getting used to life with a ban on multi-family gatherings — less than a week from Thanksgiving. State officials have said social gatherings were the main factor driving this new case growth. Among other restrictions, bars are now closed to in-person service, and all recreational sports league activity is suspended.
Indeed, much has changed over the last six weeks, and concern is growing in the state. However, this fact is hopeful: Vermont and Hawaii are tied for the lowest test positivity rate in the country, at 2%, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. Also, the state has ramped up testing, adding five major sites this week, and officials are adding more contact-tracing staff as well.
All that said, we the people remain the first line of defense against the pandemic in Vermont. The key to progress is remembering what makes us great as a state: our strong commitment to each other’s well being. Actions like following public health guidance flow naturally from that, because, along with being necessary, those actions also show consideration and love for our neighbors and community. Now is the time to strengthen those values, which have served us so well for so long. Today, let’s renew our commitment to community at this crucial juncture, and be loving to others in the process. With those qualities as our guiding light, we can make steady progress and overcome this challenge as one people, showing the world that working together is the only way forward.
— Gareth Henderson
