Weekly Covid Update: State within 8,000 of 80% vaccination rate, remains safest in nation

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Health officials announced on Friday that 78.6 percent of eligible Vermonters have been vaccinated with at least one dose, leaving just 7,878 more to go, as Vermont inches closer to the 80 percent vaccination rate threshold that will result in Gov. Phil Scott lifting all remaining Covid-19 health restrictions.

To visit the vaccination dashboard for other vaccination numbers including county percentages, click here.

Over the last several days, health officials have reconciled numbers with the Centers for Disease Control after it was discovered that several categories had been counted twice, such as those administered at VA clinics and through some pharmacy partners.

In ongoing efforts to reach the 80 percent goal, Scott announced that dozens of new walk-in clinics had been scheduled at several state parks, concerts and other events over the weekend to help make the vaccine easily accessible throughout Vermont, most in Rutland and north.

On Tuesday, Michael Pieciak, commissioner for the Department of Financial Regulation, said that Vermont continues to lead the nation with the lowest new case rate, the lowest hospitalization rate, lowest fatality rate, and the highest vaccination rate, making Vermont the “safest state in the country.”

Although there was one death this past week, statewide case numbers for the week fell well below 100; all 14 Vermont counties saw declining case numbers, many falling to single digits; and Chester, Springfield, Cavendish and Ludlow all saw zero cases this week.

Walk-in clinics include Plymouth State Park; Ludlow

The newly added weekend walk-in clinics include these nearby locations:

• Camp Plymouth State Park, in Ludlow on Sunday, June 6 from noon – 2 p.m.

• Holiday Inn Conference Center in Rutland, on Saturday June 5 and Sunday June 6 from 7 – 11:50 a.m. Clinics continue daily from Tuesday, June 8 through Sunday, June 13.

• Wilmington Antique and Flea Market, 225 Route 9, Wilmington on Saturday and Sunday June 5 & 6 from noon – 3 p.m.

For details on these events or all events currently scheduled throughout the state, click here. Then be sure to click on “Find a walk-in clinic here.”

There are also a few remaining vaccination walk-in clinics scheduled for restaurant, hospitality and tourism workers, bringing vaccines directly to restaurants, lodging locations and ski areas, including:

• The Paramount Theater in Rutland on June 7 from 3 to 6 p.m.; and
• The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce in Ludlow on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

More locations are being planned around the area and state. Click here to see the list with addresses.

To register for a vaccination and see your many options, visit the Vermont Health Department website or call 855-722-7878.

Walgreens continues to offer vaccinations and Vermonters can register directly on its website or through the state website. Only larger Shaw’s stores that have pharmacies will be participating in the vaccination program, which means that neither the Ludlow nor Springfield location is participating.

Price Chopper and Rite Aid are also offering vaccines, with both the Ludlow and Springfield Rite Aid locations participating. Appointments cannot be made directly through the stores however; scheduling must happen through the state website.

No new Covid cases in Chester, surrounding towns; Windsor County numbers drop

There were zero new cases in surrounding towns this week, including Chester, Springfield, Cavendish and Ludlow. Chester was down from 1, Springfield down from 6, and both Cavendish and Ludlow repeated zeros from last week.

Over all, Windsor County numbers continued to drop, reporting 9 new cases versus 13 cases last week for a total of 1,481. Windham County added just 5 new cases, down from 8 new cases last week, for a total of 1,383. Rutland County also continued to decline, adding 11 new cases, down from 20 last week for a total of 2,275. Bennington County numbers also dropped, adding 5 new cases, down from 8 last week, for a total of 2,042.

One new death reported; statewide cases continue to plummet

One new death was reported this week, bringing the total number of Vermonters who have died from Covid-19  to 256. New Covid-19 cases have continued their steady decline, according to the Health Department, with just 62 new cases, dropping from 125 last week for a total of 24,252 since the beginning of the pandemic. This is the tenth straight week numbers have declined since their peak from this latest surge in early April.

The overall seven-day positivity rate dropped from 1.1 percent to .8 percent. Hospitalizations fell from 8 to 1, with patients in intensive care dropping to zero.

The total positive case numbers, deaths and other statistics are based on data published on the Health Department’s daily dashboard from Friday, May 28 through Friday, June 4.

In K-12 schools throughout Vermont, there are 6 new Covid cases this week, continuing the decline from 15 last week for a total of 1,391. Covid cases are reported on the School Based Covid-19 Transmission document as of Wednesday, June 2.

The Covid-19 testing schedule for Springfield has been updated with daily testing available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 to 11 a.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon. The CIC Health Testing in Springfield is located at 51 Pearl St., Level 1, in Springfield. For other testing locations and information, click here.

For more statewide details on Covid-19 information and resources, click here.