Vermont hits daily record in Covid cases as rollout begins for Pfizer vaccines for kids 5 to 11

©2021 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Despite statewide vaccination rates reaching the 90 percent threshold, Vermont’s new case numbers have reached a record high, hitting a record-setting one-day tally of 487 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, Nov. 4. This contributed to a record-breaking weekly total of 1,856, reversing a decline last week of 1,468 cases. The previous high was on Oct. 22, with 1,590 cases. The Vermont total now stands at 41,644 since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

Thursday’s surge sparked an immediate statement by Gov. Phil Scott urging Vermonters  — the unvaccinated in particular — to get vaccinated, citing fears that continued increases could begin to strain Vermont’s hospital capacity. He said that the lowest vaccinated counties were responsible for 25 percent of Thursday’s record tally, yet they only make up 10 percent of the state population.

“Enough is enough, it’s time to step up and get vaccinated – something over 90 percent of your fellow Vermont adults have done,” Scott said.

In the meantime, following the approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, Vermont on Wednesday began taking reservations from parents and caregivers for their eligible children to receive the shot.

Appointments for both the school-based and state-run clinics can be made at healthvermont.gov/KidsVaccine or by calling 855-722-7878. Families may need to add their child as a dependent in the registration system. An early technical glitch in the system prevented parents from adding a new dependent who identifies as BIPOC but that was fixed on Wednesday evening.

Cavendish Town, Chester-Andover and Ludlow elementary schools within the Two Rivers Supervisory Union are participating in vaccine clinics for 5 to 11 year old, as are other nearby schools. Most are on Friday, Nov. 12 and Monday, Nov. 15. Parents must have made an appointment for their child to receive the vaccine. VIEW THE LIST BY CLICKING HERE

Area town numbers decline

Local Covid-19 numbers continued to trend downward with Chester back to single digits with five new cases, after three weeks in double digits. That brings Chester’s total to 219 for the entire pandemic.

Springfield, still with the highest numbers among area towns, recorded 25 cases this week, a significant drop from 37 last week. Ludlow reported three new cases this week, back down from seven reported last week. Cavendish reported three new cases, a slight increase from two last week. Those community updates can be seen here.

Overall, new cases in Windsor County continued to flip-flop, this week showing an increase with 125 new Covid cases, up from 116 reported last week. Windham County reversed their trend as well with 82 new cases, well down from 102 reported last week.

Vermont remains a national leader for vaccination rates with 90.7 percent of eligible Vermonters having received at least one dose of vaccine, up from 89.9 percent last week. Windsor County’s vaccination rate is currently at 81.5 percent up from 81.1 percent last week and Windham County’s rate has risen to 82.9 percent, up from 82.6 percent last week. For vaccination details, visit the Vaccine Dashboard.

Boosters are available for Vermonters who have had the J&J vaccine. And boosters are available for those who have received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines who are 65 and older. They are also available for those 18 and older with certain medical conditions or who are employed in specific high exposure risk jobs. They are also available for those 18 and older who are Black, Indigenous and people of color or those who live with someone who is BIPOC. To see if you are eligible, click here. To schedule your booster shot, check for availability at walk-in vaccine locations below or check for clinics by appointment by clicking here. You can also make an appointment on line here.

Deaths continue to rise

Vermont deaths due to Covid-19 are again on the rise with 19 reported this week, up from 13 last week. So far, 383 Vermonters have died from Covid-19. Of the most recent deaths, seven people were over 80 years old, nine were age 70 to 79, one was age 60 to 69, and two were age 50 to 59.

Currently, 45 people are hospitalized with Covid-19, down from 60 last week. The number of people in intensive care has increased from 12 to 16. The positivity rate has increased, going from 2.7 percent to 3.3 percent this week.

In this report, the total positive case numbers, deaths and other statistics are based on data from Friday, Oct. 29 to Friday Nov. 5, published on the Health Department’s Case Dashboard.

Cavendish Town Elementary remains Covid-free

The reported school numbers from Vermont’s Health Department website, dated Nov. 1, showed:

• one new case, nine in total at Chester-Andover Elementary;
• zero new cases and two in total at Ludlow Elementary School;
• no new cases and one in total at Green Mountain High.
• Cavendish Town Elementary School remains the only school in the Two Rivers Supervisory Union district without a reported Covid case.

In Springfield: Zero new cases and nine cases in total have been reported at Riverside Middle School; Elm Hill shows one new case, nine in total; Union Street School is showing zero new cases in this past week, 14 in total; and Springfield High School showed zero new cases, four in total; River Valley Tech showed one new case, two in total.

Total statewide K-12 numbers reported 153 new Covid cases with 1,284 since the school year began.

 Nearest stores and pharmacies offering vaccines

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

CLINICS

Nearest walk-up clinics and by-appointment clinics for children

Friday, Nov. 5

• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Diamond. Run Mall, Rutland, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• School Clinic: Riverside Middle School, Springfield 4-8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 6

• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (12+), 1:30-5:30 p.m. (age 5-11)
• Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 8

• Diamond Run Mall, Rutland, 8:30 -11 a.m. (12+), 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (age 5-11)
• School Clinic: Hartford High School, Hartford 4-8 p.m.
• School Clinic: Elm Hill School, Springfield, 9-11 a.m. (age 5-11)
• School Clinic: Union Street School, Springfield, 12:30-3:30 p.m. (age 5-11)

Tuesday, Nov. 9

• Diamond Run Mall, Rutland, 8:30 -11 a.m. (12+), 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (age 5-11)
• School Clinic: Riverside Middle School, Springfield, 4-7 p.m. (12+), 7-8 p.m. (age 5-11)
• School Clinic: Greenstreet School, Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (age 5-11)
• School Clinic: Bellows Falls Elementary School, Bellows Falls, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (age 5-11)

Wednesday, Nov. 10

• Asa Bloomer State Bldg., 88 Merchants Row, Rutland, 9 a.m. -3 p.m.
• School Clinic: Riverside Middle School, Springfield, noon-5 p.m. (12+)
• Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 11

• Diamond Run Mall, Rutland, 8:30 -11 a.m. (12+), 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (age 5-11)
• Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• School Clinic: Hartford High School, Hartford, 4-8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 12

• School Clinic: Chester-Andover Elementary School, Chester, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (age 5-11)
• School Clinic: Grafton Elementary School, Grafton, 9-10:30 a.m. (age 5-11)
• School Clinic: Riverside Middle School, Springfield, 4-7 p.m. (12+), 7-8 p.m. (age 5-11)
• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Diamond Run Mall, Rutland, 8:30 -11 a.m. (12+), 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (age 5-11)

Monday, Nov. 15

• School Clinic: Ludlow Elementary School, 45 Main St. Ludlow, 9 to 11 a.m. (ages 5 to 11)
• School Clinic: Cavendish Town Elementary, 573 Main St., Proctorsville, noon to 2 p.m. (ages 5 to 11)

For details on all vaccination locations or to schedule an appointment, visit Vermont Health Department website or call 855-722-7878.