Governor emphasizes unity amid pandemic challenges
A view of the mountains from Cloudland Road in Pomfret, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Vermont’s governor sounded a call for unity, as the state remained focused on contact-tracing and testing efforts while facing a continued increase in COVID-19 cases.
Tuesday’s state press conference also brought a couple of hopeful notes about what’s coming up. Vermont expects its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine to arrive next week, and Gov. Phil Scott was “cautiously optimistic” with the ongoing bipartisan Congressional discussions about a new federal COVID-19 relief package. Many hope those talks will produce a bill this month.
Scott also recognized that Monday marked the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, where 2,463 Americans were killed and “our nation rose together to meet an enormous challenge,” as the governor said in a prior statement. On Tuesday, he said the way Americans came together to face adversity in the World War II era holds lessons for today.
“That service, that collective sacrifice, is a powerful reminder that there’s no greater force for the greater good, than when we are united in a common cause,” Scott said.
In recent weeks, gatherings have been a focus. But in response to a media question, Scott said Vermont’s current restrictions were unlikely to loosen in the upcoming four weeks, at least. A statewide ban on multi-household gatherings remains in effect, as well as a ban on non-essential travel, and case counts in the state and region are up. In his Tuesday remarks, Scott said “it’s still too early to know the impact of Thanksgiving,” and noted it will be a matter of months before vaccinations are widely available.
“The vaccines will not provide instantaneous relief. It will be many months before we receive enough for everyone,” Scott said, adding that public health guidance must still be followed to keep Vermonters safe.
To be ready for the coming weeks, Vermont continues to strengthen its COVID-19 testing and contact-tracing operations. Also on Tuesday, health officials announced they will launch a text notification system later this week, for certain individuals who are identified as “close contacts” by someone who has COVID-19. Health Commissioner Mark Levine said the contact-tracing team will determine who receives the texts, based on the particular situation.
“Please know that the texts do not replace our expert contact-tracing work,” Levine said. “Everyone who is identified as a close contact will still get a phone call from a contact-tracer.”
Recipients’ phone numbers will be provided by the person who has COVID-19, he said. People who are texted will see two short messages from the number 86911, asking them, in part, to quarantine right away and expect a call from a contact-tracer. Those messages will be sent between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
“We hope that, by using this new communication tool, Vermonters can start preparing quickly to take steps for protecting themselves and others around them,” Levine said.
Even with increasing daily case counts in Vermont, with Tuesday bringing another 100, Scott remained optimistic about Vermonters’ ability to combat the pandemic. But he also noted the recent spread of the virus in New England and the wider Northeast region as well.
“Even with all the obstacles before us, I know we’ll get through this, but we need to be vigilant.”
— Gareth Henderson
