Signs of progress
Trees near Lake Pinneo in Quechee, Vermont, on Sunday afternoon. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
While cross-country skiing near some trees this weekend, the late-afternoon sun sharpened and dark-blue tree shadows blanketed the snowy landscape. I saw the shadows shift ever so slightly, every time I moved forward on the path before me. Where shadow seemed to reign, there was also light.
We have seen many looming shadows over the past year as the U.S. has dealt with the pandemic. Those challenges have begun to shift, and the light of progress has shone a little brighter, with each forward step. For example, Vermonters recently got the good news that, effective on Tuesday, individuals who have been fully vaccinated — meaning two weeks after their second dose — will no longer have to quarantine after traveling to Vermont. This includes visitors coming in from other states, as long as they can prove they've been fully vaccinated.
That change in Vermont was announced Friday in accordance with new CDC guidelines. The state’s public health guidance remains in effect, including the required masking and social distancing, Gov. Phil Scott noted at a press briefing. Though the vaccination process has been going well, Scott said, the state will be cautious about loosening its COVID-19 regulations.
“I want to be very clear: We’re going to do this carefully and methodically, like we have throughout the pandemic, and I’m asking for your patience as we work our way through this,” Scott said Friday.
Vermonters’ strong adherence to public health guidance has helped greatly reduce COVID-related deaths and hospitalizations since January, the governor said, noting the state’s successful vaccination effort has also contributed to that progress. As of Friday, over 21,000 Vermonters age 70 and older had already signed up for their vaccine shots, after that age group had become eligible just three days earlier. That means Vermont will be able to open registration to the 65+ age group “very soon,” Scott said.
The hopeful COVID-19 data has also allowed progress on other pandemic regulations. Recently, the state allowed competitions for winter sports to proceed, and school music rehearsals and performances were given the green light as well. All these activities of course, must follow specific health guidelines, with no audiences or game crowds allowed.
One of the state’s more stringent rules came just before the holidays: Vermont’s ban on multi-household gatherings. However, the governor on Friday said the state is taking a look at how the new CDC guidance may impact that rule, and he expects to make an announcement this week.
All this comes amid a backdrop of steady improvement for COVID-19 data here and around the country. New cases in the U.S. have been on the decline since mid-January — same for Vermont and much of New England. The data suggests vaccines are a big part of that positive trend, and vaccination will speed up as more supply becomes available.
Recent trends are indeed hopeful, and they help that light of progress shine brighter. For many individuals and business owners, those brighter days can’t come soon enough. Businesses need the larger crowds and greater traffic flow to survive, especially during the busier, warmer months. People deeply miss being able to gather with family and friends, and communities miss having the cherished annual events we all love.
All those things remain possible. But first, we must renew our patience and our care for one another, and forge ahead through this winter of change. We can know that, although stages of progress may seem small with our hopes so great, they’re each a forward step and a reassurance that we’re heading the right direction. The hard work so many have done for their communities and the state is encouraging to remember as we face the shadows ahead. While we proceed, those challenges will shift as progress resolves them and guides us toward better days. The last several months have shown that the state, region and country can indeed make progress together. This is not only a chance to resolutely pursue that path, but to build a stronger future, using all we’ve learned during the pandemic. We’re equal to that task, and we have an opportunity to seize.
— Gareth Henderson
