Village mask ordinance amended; Vt. prepares to vaccinate ages 12-15
The Village Green in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
A mask is no longer required to be worn outdoors within the Village of Woodstock, after a decision by the Woodstock Village Trustees on Tuesday night.
Trustees voted 3-1 to suspend the portion of the local mask ordinance which required a face covering to be worn outside. However, state guidelines will be followed, including wearing a mask when six feet of social distancing is not possible. Masks must still be worn inside all public buildings and businesses.
Tuesday’s discussion was prompted by a recent change to Vermont’s statewide mask mandate, which was made in accordance with CDC guidance. The state no longer requires mask-wearing outside, except when six-foot social distancing can’t be maintained. The CDC recently announced that less than 1% of COVID-19 transmission occurs outdoors.
Businesses and events operating outdoors must still adhere to mask requirements under the Vermont Forward reopening plan. See more details here.
Woodstock Village expects to suspend its entire mask ordinance once the state ends its mask mandate. On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott said the state may lift the mandate ahead of schedule in June, as the state is hitting its vaccination goals faster than expected. Over 61% of all Vermonters have had at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.
The governor expects to share more details on Friday about the state potentially speeding up its reopening plans.
State preparing to expand vaccination to ages 12-15
Vermont is preparing to add another age group to the COVID-19 vaccination effort this week.
The FDA announced Monday it has approved use of Pfizer vaccine doses for children ages 12-15, and with final approval, state officials say vaccine registration for that group could begin immediately. If the final decision comes in the evening, registration for this age group will open at 8:15 a.m. the next morning, Vermont officials confirmed.
That final approval rests with the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which meets to vote on Wednesday. In a weekly call between governors and White House and CDC leaders Tuesday, that final stage of approval was not in doubt, according to Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.
“They sounded optimistic that full approval would be coming very, very soon,” Scott said at a Tuesday press conference.
In preparing for this change, the state has ordered a total of 4,480 extra Pfizer doses, through a new federal program allowing states to request doses above their weekly allocation. Pending federal approval of the request, those extra doses could arrive as soon as next week.
Additionally, the state and school districts are planning over 40 school-based vaccination sites to accommodate the 12-15 age group. Those new sites will be open to the public as well. The recently unveiled walk-in clinics around the state will also be available to this new group, however, once eligible, officials are encouraging this group to sign up for their doses online. That’s because they can only have the Pfizer vaccine, noted Human Services Secretary Mike Smith. If they do visit a walk-in clinic, a parent will need to be with them to give permission.
Also on Tuesday, Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said parents of children ages 16 and 17 (ages which are already eligible) and of children ages 12-15 should speak to their child’s pediatrician if they have questions or concerns regarding vaccinating their children.
“They are there for you and your child, and many (pediatricians) are making appearances in your region of the state to emphasize the importance of vaccine for children in the age groups we’ve just discussed,” Levine said.
He also said people are welcome to view information on the state’s vaccine website, healthvermont.gov/myvaccine, notably the “Frequently Asked Questions” section.
As the state’s COVID cases keep trending downward, there has been a marked improvement in the rate of vaccination among those 30 years old and younger, according to Michael Pieciak, the financial regulation commissioner, who spoke about state trends on Tuesday.
“Last week, those age bands sat just below the national average, and this week, they’re sitting comfortably above the national average,” Pieciak said. “So certainly, there’s more work to be done, but progress is being made.”
— Gareth Henderson
5/12/2021 Update: On Wednesday afternoon, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to approve the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for ages 12-15.
