Weekly Covid Update: New Covid cases continue to drop; state shifts focus to recovery, prevention

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With new Covid 19 cases continuing to plummet, Vermont state and health officials have begun shifting their narrative to one of recovery and long-term prevention vs. crisis management.

On Tuesday during the weekly press conference, Gov. Phil Scott offered little comment on Covid-19, other than saying he was “very encouraged.” Instead, he used his time to address other statewide issues.

Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said that “omicron has hastened a pathway to our endemic state,” although he fell short of committing to a specific timeline. He said that state health officials were now planning a new phase, post-omicron, when Covid is less disruptive and people have learned to live with and manage it, not unlike the flu where good prevention practices and vaccination are important factors. The state also announced that it will be updating the daily dashboard only during weekdays with weekend totals appearing on Monday.

As for the BA2 omicron variant, Levine said only one specimen has been identified in Vermont and although it is a more transmissible version of omicron, health officials have not found other traits that are a cause for concern. He said that as risk for virus deceases, and with no potent variant on the horizon, that should allow for a successful move toward recovery.

New weekly case totals continued their rapid descent, with 3,624 reported, significantly down from 6,651 last week, and from 10,104 the week prior. The overall total number of Covid cases in Vermont stands at 106,690 since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. Hospitalizations and percent positivity also continued to decline.

Hospitalizations dropped from 106 to 92 this week. The number of people in intensive care also decreased from 25 to 21. The positivity percentage rate also dropped from 10.2 percent to 8.9 percent.

Deaths did show an increase, a trend predicted by Commissioner Michael Pieciak, of the Financial Regulation Department, last week as part of omicron’s retreat pattern.

Deaths from Covid increased slightly, with 21 reported statewide, up from 18 last week. The total number of Vermonters who have died from Covid now stands at 553. Of the most recent deaths, 11 were over 80 years old, five were age 70 to 79, four were age 60 to 69, one was age 30 to 39.

In this report, the total positive case numbers, deaths and other statistics are based on data captured from Friday, Jan. 28 to Friday, Feb. 4, published on the Health Department’s Case Dashboard.

All towns showed a decline

Chester’s Covid-19 numbers were down this week, with 19 cases reported, more than halved from 44 cases reported last week. That brings Chester’s total to 615 for the entire pandemic, nearly 20 percent of residents, in a town of slightly more than 3,100 residents.

Ludlow’s new case total continued to drop with only seven reported this week, down from 10 last week. Cavendish also showed a decline with seven new cases, down from nine last week. Springfield was also down with 40 new cases, a drop from 99 cases reported last week. Those community updates can be seen here.

Overall, new cases in Windsor County also dropped sharply with 180 cases reported, down from 449 last week. Windham County showed a steep decline as well with 119 new cases, down from 316 new cases last week.

Local school Covid numbers

The Two Rivers Supervisory Union has added a document to its website that tracks Covid cases in each of the local schools in the district since the beginning of January when students returned to school from the holiday break. You can find that document here.

In the past week:

• Chester Andover Elementary School has reported 7 new cases, 38 in total since January;
• Green Mountain Union Middle/High School has two new cases, 65 in total;
• Cavendish Elementary has no new cases, seven in total;
• Ludlow Elementary has reported one new case, seven in total;
• Mount Holly School has no new cases, 12 in total since January term began.

On Tuesday, Agency of Education Secretary Dan French said the AOE was continuing to provide guidance to schools as they grapple with the recent AOE shift from Test to Stay, which was driven by testing in schools, to the new “Test at Home” program. He said his agency is already planning to pivot to education recovery and were now directing their focus on academic and social emotional needs, which he expects to unveil at the end of February.

Test kits and local testing sites

The availability of antigen testing kits and other testing opportunities continues to evolve. Visit this link to get up-to-date information on test availability, locations and other information. The Health Department recommends making an appointment.

The nearest sites for testing include:

Brattleboro, 417 Canal St., Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2-6 p.m.

Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, Monday through Friday 9 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 5:10 p.m., Saturday 10 to 11:50 a.m.

Springfield Health Center, 51 Pearl St., Level 2, Springfield, Monday Tuesday, Friday 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wednesday 8-11 a.m., Saturday 8 a.m.– noon.

Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center, 289 County Road, Windsor, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Carlos Otis Stratton Mountain Clinic, 78 Founder’s Hill Rd., Stratton, Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8-11 a.m.

For more information on what to do if you or your child tests positive for Covid-19, visit this link.

County vaxx rates stall

Vermont remains a national leader for vaccination rates across most categories.Vaccination rates for ages 12+ stand at 99.4 percent of eligible Vermonters having received at least one dose of vaccine, up from 99.1 percent last week. Both Windsor and Windham counties vaccination numbers were stagnant this week, with Windsor County holding steady at 84 percent this week and Windham County still at 85 percent. For vaccination details, visit the Vaccine Dashboard.

Vaccination and boosters remained a focus and push for state health officials who spoke Tuesday including Levine, Deputy Human Services Secretary Jenney Samuelson, Pieciak and French.

Boosters are now available for Vermonters over age of 12. Parents can register their children for the booster online now. Children ages 16 and 17 can now get their booster shot as soon as five months after the second dose.

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.

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

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

Friday, Feb. 4

Bellows Falls Fire Dept., 170 Rockingham St. Bellows Falls, 4-6 p.m. (12+)

Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St. Rutland, 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Royalton Town Office, 2460 VT Route 14, S. Royalton, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Saturday, Feb. 5

Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St. Rutland, 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Monday, Feb. 7

Cavendish Fire Dept., 2153 Main St., Cavendish 2:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Tuesday, Feb. 8

Cavendish Fire Dept., 2153 Main St., Cavendish 2:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Riverside Middle School, 13 Fairgrounds Road, Springfield, 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (12+)

Woodstock High School, 100 Amsden Way, Woodstock, 4-6 p.m. (12+)

Fair Haven Grade School, 115 No. Main St., Fair Haven 9 a.m. – noon (5-11) and (12+)

Brattleboro Retreat, Anna Marsh Lane, Brattleboro, 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro VFW, 40 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, noon-6 p.m. (5-11) and (12+)

White River Jct. District Office, 118 Prospect St. Ste 300, WRJ, 9:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (12+) 2-4 p.m. (5-11)

Community Health Pediatrics, 1 General Wing Road, Rutland, 4-7 p.m. (5-11) and (12+)

Diamond Run Mall, 46 Diamond Run, Rutland, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Wednesday, Feb. 9

Mount Holly School, 150 School St., Mount Holly, 9 a.m. – noon (5-11) and (12+)

Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro, 4:30-6:30 p.m. (12+)

Londonderry Rescue, 6069 VT Route 100, Londonderry, 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (12+)

Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St. Rutland, 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (12+)

Thursday, Feb. 10

Hartford High School, 37 Highland Ave, Hartford, 4-6 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro District Office, 232 Main St., Brattleboro, 8-10:45 a.m. (12+)

Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St. Rutland, 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (12+)

White River Jct. District Office, 118 Prospect St. Ste 300, WRJ, 9:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (12+) 2-4 p.m. (5-11)

Friday, Feb. 11

Fair Haven High School, 33 Mechanic St., Fair Haven, 4-6 p.m. (12+)

Stratton Resort, 5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (12+)

Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St. Rutland, 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. (12+)

Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Diamond Run Mall, 46 Diamond Run, Rutland, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

Royalton Town Office, 2460 VT Route 14, S. Royalton, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. (12+)

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