Vaccination clinics continue through storm
The state is looking at adding appointments at Mount Ascutney Hospital in Windsor starting next week, and allocating more vaccine doses to Springfield Hospital soon.
A plow truck rolls through downtown Woodstock, Vermont, on Tuesday afternoon. (Gareth Henderson)
Parts of Vermont got up to a foot of snow on Tuesday, and though some roads became treacherous, the state's COVID-19 vaccination clinics remained open and just 21 appointments had been canceled due to weather as of 11 a.m. People who had to cancel due to the storm could either keep the same time for a different day this week, or set an entirely new appointment.
The state is currently vaccinating Vermonters age 75 and older, which is the first part of Phase 2 of its vaccination process. As of Tuesday morning, 87 appointments were available in Windsor County, according to Mike Smith, the state's secretary of human services. At a press briefing Tuesday, he said the state was looking at adding appointments at Mount Ascutney Hospital in Windsor starting next week, and allocating more vaccine doses to Springfield Hospital soon. The state is also adding appointment slots in Windham and Orange counties, as well as several locations in northern Vermont.
Along with the vaccination effort, the state has formed a working group which is discussing the best time to start opening up long-term care facilities to "congregate dining and other activities" once enough time has gone by for the vaccine to build up sufficient immunity for the residents, according to Smith. The residents and staff of those facilities were among the top-priority groups in the first phase of Vermont's vaccination process.
"Our seniors living in long-term care facilities have been isolated for far too long, and it is our hope to re-establish those social connections as soon as possible," Smith said.
All 37 skilled nursing facilities in Vermont have received their first and second doses of the vaccine, he added. Smith also said 87% of residential care facilities and 94% of assisted living facilities have received their first dose, with many of these individuals receiving their second dose as well.
Overall, state officials said the declining number of COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities is a key reason why the state has seen a gradual decline in case growth and COVID-19 death rate. However, Bennington County has seen a recent spike in cases, which the state is closely monitoring. Vermont's positivity rate remains around 2%, and the Northeast region's positivity rate recently dropped below 5% for the first time since November.
— Gareth Henderson
Winter’s majesty
Early forecasts had the southern Vermont area missing the heaviest snowfall of this week's epic winter storm, but that was not to be. Instead, some parts of the region got over 40 inches.
Branches are weighed down by heavy snow in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Early forecasts had the southern Vermont area missing the heaviest snowfall of this week's epic winter storm, but that was not to be. Instead, some parts of the region got over 40 inches, like Ludlow which saw a whopping 42. Elsewhere in the Northeast, parts of New York also topped 40 inches, and snowfall records were snapped in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In Binghamton, New York, the National Weather Service reported nearly 40 inches of snow, that city’s largest total snowfall since records began in 1951.
This storm got winter off to a start many areas hadn't seen in years. For some parts of the Northeastern U.S., this one storm dumped more snow than the entirety of last winter. That says a lot about the size of this storm and the mild snowfall some areas experienced last winter. Obviously, this week's winter blast was the antithesis of mild, and caught some people quite unaware. Case in point: Check out the timelapse video in this CNN report where some lonely deck furniture quickly gets buried in Binghamton, New York.
Speaking of decks, cars and walkways, many of us were thrust right into the middle of wintry clean-up in the blink of an eye. This storm seemed that fast. In some parts of the region, the snow fell at six inches per hour. That slowed and continued through part of the day, before tapering off in the afternoon as people everywhere continued with their wintry tasks. A few people turned to wintry walks in the evening, and, as for us, my wife, daughter and I headed downtown for a brisk walk in winter air — my daughter bringing her Nordic skis along for fun.
In every way, today felt like the beginning of winter, and with its majesty all around us, I look forward to enjoying it and letting its beauty inspire me as I write. That inspiration can be shared by all of us, as winter brings out some of the most beautiful scenes in nature. Perhaps that awe-inspiring beauty can warm our hearts at the coldest of times and inspire us as we endeavor to make progress in life. That's the kind of inspiration we can really use this winter, and with that spark of winter's majesty, we can bring that light with us into the holiday season and share it with others.
— Gareth Henderson