Mountain Times - Vol. 49, No. 53 - Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan 2, 2021

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8 • LOCAL NEWS The Mountain Times • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 > Covid: Recent trends and projections for Covid case numbers in Vermont are more promising than have been in past weeks, but officials encourage vigilance from page 1 on faces, 6-foot spaces, uncrowded places.” the public to understand,” he said. Michael S. Pieciak, commissioner of the “There will be age bands established as Vermont Dept. of Financial Regulation, to when you will be eligible to be vaccinated. noted, “As terrible as 2020 has been, Vermonters For example, 75-plus will be the first to have many reasons to look back get the vaccine after the completion of 1a, on the year with pride and to look forward then 70 and older, then 65 and old, and so with optimism for the year ahead.” on. Underlying conditions will be a priority While Vermont added another 1,000 no matter what age, and those conditions cases in just the past 11 days, bringing the will be clearly defined,” he said. total to 7,000 cases since the beginning of “What we are trying to do is design a the pandemic, that remains a relatively system that is easily implemented, easily low figure. “To put this in a more helpful understood and prioritizes our primary perspective,” Pieciak said. “Maine has recorded goal of protecting lives,” Smith summa- more cases than that [7,000] in just rized, adding that “definitions such as the past three weeks and New Hampshire ‘essential worker’ or ‘frontline worker’ often just the past two weeks. So Vermont continues cause confusion and unnecessary divisive- to maintain a very low case count both ness and doesn’t put enough emphasis on in the aggregate and on a per capita basis.” our primary goal of saving lives.” Maine and New Hampshire have populations roughly twice as large as Vermont but have been averaging 433 cases per day, and 612 cases per day, respectively, according to the New York Times. Vermont’s average is 84. However, December has been the deadliest month in Vermont since the beginning of the pandemic with 52 deaths this month — more than a third of the state’s 129 total deaths. Of this month's deaths, 10 have died in the past five days and 85% of the deaths were connected to long-term care facility, Levine added. That’s compared to 70% of the total deaths being among residents of long-term care facilities, he said. Levine emphasized that the deaths at long-term care facilities are not a reflection of a poor facility or staffing, but rather a result of the virus being more prevalent in our communities and, thus, leading to more exposure, which affect vulnerable populations more severely leading to higher rates of illness and death. “Deaths are almost exclusively among Vermonters age 60 and older. Only seven of the 129 deaths have been among Vermonters age 30-59,” Levine noted. This data has informed state officials on whom to prioritize for vaccinations. “Our main focus is on reducing hospitalizations and saving lives. Those who are at the greatest risks, are the oldest age bands and those with chronic conditions,” Levine continued. However, “there are over 400,000 Vermonters who, when you survey them, would tell you they fit the criteria of age over 65 and/or a chronic condition,” Levine said. Mike Smith, secretary of the Agency ofHuman Services, further explained the state’s vaccination plan and prioritization of population subsets. The completion of priority group 1a (vaccinating healthcare workers and those in long-term care facilities) marks the beginning of the mass vaccination program, Smith said at the press conference Tuesday. “Vaccines will be prioritized and given based on age. Because the older you are the more vulnerable you are to Covid-19, and it meets our prime objective, which is protecting lives. It’s the easiest way to administer vaccines, and it’s the easiest for “Vaccines will be prioritized and given based on age. Because the older you are the more vulnerable you are to Covid-19,” Smith said. Smith reported that 9,751 Vermonters have been vaccinated, so far — 14.8% of priority group 1a — with approximately 8,000 of those being healthcare workers, 900 EMS workers, and 900 at long-term care facilities through the pharmacy care program. He also noted that pharmacies have 72 hours to report to the federal government, which creates a significant lag time in that data. “In fact, by Jan. 8 we expected to be finished providing the first dose of the vaccine to all but one of the residents of skilled nursing facilities where the frailest of the elderly often reside,” Smith said. As of Tuesday, 19 of 37 skilled nursing facilities have received the first dose of vaccine, he added. And by the end of January, all in priority group 1a should have received at least their first dose, and many their second dose, including most in skilled nursing facilities, Smith said. Courtesy Vt Dept. of Health Vermont continues to stand out for its low active cases per million on the heat map for the Northeast. Of the over 500 counties on the map, eight of the ten counties with the lowest case volume were in Vermont. Courtesy Vt Dept. of Health Air travel decreased significantly through Christmas eve compared to 2019, with a 58% reduction nationally and an 80% reduction at Burlington International Airport (BTV). However, airports still saw more travelers than over Thanksgiving 2020. Courtesy Vt Dept. of Health While it took Vermont 228 days to reach 2,000 Covid-19 cases (March-October), the state has added 5,000 cases in just 66 days (November-December). However, for the past two weeks, cases have been declining slightly week-over-week.
The Mountain Times • Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021 LOCAL NEWS • 9 When can I get a vaccine, and other important Covid-19 questions By Katie Jickling and Alan J. Keays/VTDigger Covid-19 vaccines are arriving in Vermont and shots have been administered to the first recipients. The state Dept. of Health is still ironing out the details about who exactly can be vaccinated first and when those doses will be available. The supply of vaccines is growing — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Moderna vaccine on Friday, Dec. 18, in addition to the Pfizer vaccine — but smaller states such as Vermont will receive a limited number of doses. State officials said they expected about 5,850 vaccine doses each week through the end of the year, although a hiccup in initial deliveries delayed the arrival of some of those doses. Younger, healthier Vermonters likely won’t get their turn in line until this spring. As we wait, here are some answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the vaccines: I’m an essential worker. When can I get a vaccine? The short answer: It depends on exactly what that essential work is. Now for the longer one. Due to the limited supply, the Vermont Dept. of Health wants to set the priority order for who gets the shot, starting with long-term care residents and frontline health care workers. The health care workers include staff at long-term care facilities who have direct contact with patients, EMT staff, dentists, and most home health care providers. The department is waiting for recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before planning next steps. Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont’s health commissioner, said the next group “will almost certainly involve some combination of people” over the age of 65 and people with chronic or immune-compromising conditions. That next group is also expected to include teachers and child care workers, and people living in group situations, such as homeless shelters, prisons and group homes. “We hope to have a practical and rational prioritization scheme that first and foremost focuses on reducing sickness and death,” he said, “but takes into consideration our other goals of keeping our kids in in-person instruction in schools and protecting our workforce and businesses.” According to Levine, the state is expected to receive about 35,000 vaccine doses by the end of December, which won’t be enough to cover all the health care workers and residents of long-term facilities, which total between 50,000 and 60,000 people. The process of vaccinating that group will likely take until the end of January. And it is expected to be spring before the general population can register for a shot. How do I know when it’s my turn? The first group — health care workers and long-term care residents and staff — are getting direct notification about when and where they can get vaccinated. As more of the vaccine becomes available, the department says it will work with health care practices, employers, pharmacies and media outlets to get the word out as additional groups become eligible. To avoid long lines and allow for social distancing, people will have to register for appointments to get the vaccine. Most Vermonters should expect to get the shot from their primary care doctors. People who don’t have insurance or a primary care doctor can get the shot at vaccine clinics run by the department. How much will it cost me? Good news. It’s free. The federal government is picking up the tab, with CARES Act money covering the cost. If I’ve had Covid, do I still need a vaccine? Yes. According to the CDC, there is not yet enough information available to determine if or how long after a Covid-19 infection a person is protected from getting it again. “Early evidence suggests natural immunity from Covid-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this,” according to the CDC. How effective are the vaccines? The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are about 95% effective, but because they are new it is still not yet known how long the protection will last. What are the side effects of getting a vaccine? It’s common to have flu-like symptoms the day after receiving the immunization, including symptoms such as fever, chills, tiredness, and swelling on the arm, around the site of the injection. Side effects typically come after the booster shot, which is administered three weeks after the first injection. The most common side effects on the arm where a person receives a shot includes pain and swelling. “You may have some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection,” according to the CDC. “These side effects may affect your ability to do daily activities, but they should go away in a few days.” Once I get the vaccine, can I stop wearing this mask? Nope. Sorry. That’s because the vaccines are not 100% effective, and it’s still not known if a person who gets a vaccine can still spread it to others. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease, told CNN he recommends people still wear masks and practice social distancing even after getting the vaccine. “Obviously, with a 90-plus-percent effective vaccine, you could feel much more confident,” he said. “But I would recommend to people to not abandon all public health measures just because you have been vaccinated, because even though, for the general population, it might be 90 to 95 percent effective, you don’t necessarily know, for you, how effective it is.” Will there be a mandate to get the vaccine? President-elect Joe Biden has repeatedly said that, when he takes office, his administration will not make any Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory. “I don’t think it should be mandatory,” he told reporters earlier this month, according to a report in Business Insider. “But I would do everything in my power — just like I don’t think masks have to be made mandatory nationwide — I’ll do everything in my power as president of the United States to encourage people to do the right thing and when they do it demonstrate that it matters.” Winter sports: State restrictions relaxed for youth sports teams, including club and school ski teams. Practices started this week on-slope > Submitted A youth skier carves just past a Giant Slalom gate as she races toward the finishline. from page 1 ther,” Scott said on Dec. 22. The governor’s announcement was welcome to ski and snowboard clubs and teams, which had been waiting for the governor’s updates since restrictions were put in place on Nov. 14. Ski club and academy leaders met with state officials on Dec. 7 to find a solution. Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA) Executive Director Julie Woodworth called the governor’s announcement a “win.” “I think everyone’s just pretty psyched in general,” said Woodworth. Under the restrictions, students in ski sports are required to stay in cohorts no larger than 25 individuals. Students can only interact with people in their own club and can’t ride chairlifts with those outside their cohorts. “Everybody has to stay in their unit,” Woodworth said. The winter programs are about a month behind schedule due in part to the pandemic and in part to the lack of snow. “The weather and Covid have been working together to beat us up,” Woodworth said. Though the state is allowing race programs to resume training, U.S. Ski and Snowboard, the national governing body for skiing and snowboarding, is not allowing competitions to begin until Jan. 1. Ski races in Vermont are currently scheduled to start Jan. 12 under restrictions. Races will be capped this season to 100 participants to meet Vermont’s requirement that limit group gatherings to 150 people, Woodworth said. The cap is a downsize from typical races, which can draw up to 200 participants. Woodworth said it will be up to the race site to make sure it has enough staff to work the race. Though youth programs can begin, adult programs, for those 18 and over, are still on pause. “That’s the one little hitch we have right now,” Woodworth said. “It’s just a matter of educating the state on how Alpine racing works.” Chuck Hughes, the development program director of the Killington Ski Club and Killington Mountain School, said programs started on Dec. 27 with “a great day of social distancing and mask wearing.” Hughes declined to say more about the future of the season until more is known about the events schedule. Meanwhile, Okemo and Killington Resort are emphasizing one-on-one lessons this year and are limiting group ski and snowboard lessons to private groups. Scott’s announcement came as most schools were on break for the holidays. Scott said hockey, cheerleading, basketball can hold practices if athletes stay 6 feet apart. Cheerleaders are not allowed to hold vocal routines this winter. High contact sports like wrestling will not be able to hold practices and indoor track will also not be sanctioned this winter.
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Mountain Times - Vol. 49, No. 53 - Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan 2, 2021

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