Governor: We must ‘work together’ to defeat COVID
The sun brightens up Route 4 and its environs in West Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
With vaccines nearing possible final approval, Vermont officials said it’s still crucial to follow public health guidance in order to slow COVID-19 infections.
At a Friday press briefing, Gov. Phil Scott offered words of encouragement, acknowledging how difficult the pandemic has been on everyone, especially not being able to see loved ones due to a recent gathering restriction. Today, Vermont remains with one of the lowest test positivity rates in the nation.
“Vermonters, all of you, have proven to be the best in the country in following the guidance and managing this virus, so I’m asking you to please come together for what we hope will be a final push and get us through this latest surge,” Scott said.
Vermont saw 224 new coronavirus cases on Thursday — a single-day record. Two more COVID-19 deaths were reported that day, both at skilled nursing facilities. For Friday, total new cases were down to 73.
The state remains under a ban on multi-household gatherings, which it implemented about two weeks before Thanksgiving to curtail virus spread during the holiday season. State Health Commissioner Mark Levine said it wasn’t possible yet to fully know the impact of Thanksgiving gatherings or travel on case count, adding that the best data would come at least 10 to 14 days after the holiday. But he was optimistic, because contact tracing data has not pointed to Thanksgiving activity as a big factor in the recent surge, so far.
“We have lots of reasons to believe Vermonters were very compliant with the executive order,” Levine said.
In response to recent outbreaks, the state has implemented more frequent testing in long-term care facilities. Testing and contract-tracing operations continue to ramp up throughout Vermont. On Friday, state officials shared some optimism due to recent news of vaccines, with Levine saying a vaccine is “literally weeks away.” Priority groups to get Vermont’s first available doses would be health care workers and the residents and staff of long-term care facilities, he added. Those could arrive in the state by mid-December. Most national experts say widespread vaccination in the U.S. won’t be achieved until late April to May, with some estimating farther out to late summer or early fall, according to Levine.
“So, (that is) still a fair amount of a time frame, which is why we’ve been really emphasizing adhering to all of the things we do every day now is a must, even when people start to get vaccinated,” he said. Those practices include mask-wearing, social distancing, avoiding non-essential travel, and not gathering with other households.
In response to media questions, the governor said the vaccine news gave him optimism.
“We’ve been talking about this for quite some time, and now it’s becoming real,” Scott said. “If we can see the finish line, I’m confident we’ll get there, but we’re all going to have to work together, and help each other and support each other.”
— Gareth Henderson
