Weekly Covid Update: Some local classes return to remote learning Vermont Covid cases stand at 32,610 since pandemic's start

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Surging community Covid 19 numbers have impacted area schools this week with more than 10 percent of students from the Two Rivers Supervisory Union — just under 100 students — now under quarantine. Chester-Andover Elementary School had two classrooms going fully remote and one Ludlow Elementary School classroom went to remote instruction this week as a result. No students from Cavendish Town Elementary have been impacted.

Those stories were reported this week in The Chester Telegraph:

•  Sept. 22: CAES classroom quarantines after Covid exposure
•  Sept. 23: More CAES students quarantining: More than 10% of TRSU students return to remote learning

In nearby Springfield, the four schools in that district have reported 12 positive cases over the past week, five of them at Riverside Middle School. As a result, two classrooms were closed at Elm Hill Elementary and Union Street School and approximately 250 students are in quarantine, over half from Riverside.

Despite these numbers gleaned from area supervisory unions, the reported school numbers from Vermont’s Health Department website, dated Sept. 20, showed no cases reported at Riverside, Elm Hill, Green Mountain Union High/Middle School or Ludlow Elementary. Springfield High School showed no new cases, but one from earlier in the school year. One case each was reported for Chester-Andover and Union Street. Total statewide K-12 numbers reported 174 new Covid cases with 344 since the school year began.

New cases in Windsor County jumped to 141, up from 108 reported last week. Windham County also saw an increase reporting 92 new cases, significantly up from 69 reported last week.

Springfield again topped local town numbers with 42 new Covid cases reported, up from 28 cases last week. Chester reported 10 new cases, up from seven cases last week. Both Cavendish and Ludlow both reported two cases, which held steady for Cavendish but was down from nine for Ludlow. Those community updates can be seen here.

Record weekly cases; deaths down

She state has reported eight new Covid-19 deaths over the past week, down from the 12 reported last week. So far, 304 Vermonters have died from Covid-19. Of the most recent deaths, three were over 80 years old, three was age 70 to 79, one was aged 60 to 69 and one was aged 30 to 39.

The state reached another weekly total record with 1,454 new Covid cases, up from 1,421 cases reported last week. The Vermont total now stands at 32,610 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Currently, 42 people are hospitalized with Covid-19, a slight uptick from 41 last week. The number of people in intensive care has also increased from 12 to 15. The positivity rate increased slightly going from 3.1 percent to 3.2 percent this week.

In this report, the total positive case numbers, deaths and other statistics are based on data from Friday, Sept. 17 to Friday Sept. 24, published on the Health Department’s Case Dashboard.

Vermont continues to lead the nation in vaccination rate with 87.5 percent of eligible Vermonters having received at least one dose of vaccine, up from 87.1 percent last week. Windsor County’s vaccination rate is currently at 79 percent up from 78.8 percent last week and Windham County’s rate has risen to 80.9 percent, up from 80.6 percent last week. For vaccination details, visit the Vaccine Dashboard.

According to a press release published on Friday, Vermont state officials announced that the state will expand eligibility for booster shots to people ages 18 to 64 with underlying medical conditions on Friday, Oct. 1. Those conditions have not yet been determined.

Vermonters 80 and older are now eligible to schedule and receive boosters as of today, Friday, Sept. 24. The scheduled roll out to other age groups beings on Monday, Sept. 27 for age 75 and older; Wednesday, Sept. 29 for age 70 and older and; Friday, Oct. 1 for those 65 and older.

Nearest vaccine clinics with regular weekly hours

• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 53 Fairview St., Brattleboro; 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday.
• Springfield Medical Care Systems, 51 Pearl St. Level 2, Springfield; 8-11 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nearest stores and pharmacies offering vaccines

• Bellows Falls – Walgreens
• Brattleboro – Rite Aid, Walgreens
• Ludlow – Rite Aid
• Rutland – CVS, Hannaford, Price Chopper, Walgreens, Walmart
• Springfield – Rite Aid
• West Rutland – Walgreens
• Windsor – Rite Aid

Nearest walk-up clinics

Friday, Sept. 24

• School Clinic: Springfield High School, Springfield, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 26

• Ascutney Outdoor Club, 499 Ski Tow Road, West Windsor, noon – 4 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 27

• School Clinic: Academy School, 860 Western Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
• Rescue Inc. Division 1 Station, 541 Canal St., Brattleboro 3-7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 30

• School Clinic: Rutland High School, Rutland, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 1

• School Clinic: Bellows Falls Union High School, Westminster, 2-8 p.m.

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