Innkeepers are a busy bunch. To save you time, VLA attends Governor Scott’s Covid-19 Press Conferences and takes notes for you. Below is the summary from 4.16.21
overnor Scott announced today that Vermonters aged 16-18 will be able to sign up for vaccine appointments tomorrow at 10 am, two days earlier than previously announced. He said the jump start was to enable young Vermonters early access to the Pfizer vaccine, with an eye on being able to participate in end of the school year/graduation activities. Appointments to receive the Johnson and Johnson vaccine have been canceled up until April 23 to give the CDC and the FDA time to review data on vaccine risks.
NOTES:
- Governor Scott:
- Signed another one month extension of the State of Emergency
- Half of J&J doses administered in the past two weeks – need another week to collect information to make decision. Meeting next week – hoping to move to distribution again soon.
- 16+ eligibility and over eligible for vaccines on Monday. Tomorrow, age 16-18 will be able to sign up. Will be able to register for Pfizer doses two days early. Want to give them a chance to have in person graduation.
- Secretary Dan French:
- Seeing 10-20 new cases in schools daily.
- Will be publishing new guidance for contact tracing for schools.
- 55% in hybrid, 33% in person, rest remote – in March. 8% of high schools in person.
- Guidance at the end of April
- Secretary Mike Smith:
- Canceled J&J vaccine appointments to April 23.
- Tomorrow, age 16-18 will be able to sign up at 10 am.
- All 16+ eligible at 6 am.
- 59% of 30+ have received first shot or make appointment.
- Over half of all eligible Vermonters have had at least one dose or are fully vaccinated.
- Commissioner Mark Levine
- UK variant dominant variant – throughout the state
QUESTIONS:
- 141 new cases today, two deaths.
- None of recent deaths were fully vaccinated.
- Covid quarantine highway signs will be coming down – may be replaced by other signs.
- No state has circumvented CDC recommendation to suspend administration of J&J vaccine.
- Scott says it may be too soon to put a work search requirement back for UI.
- Levine – doesn’t think that authorization will happen for children age 12-16 to receive vaccine for the next few weeks – maybe not until June.
- Levine – everyone believes the duration of the vaccine-provided immunity is greater than 6 months. Most people do believe it would require a booster at some point.
- Says we may want to think of it more like a yearly flu shot than a childhood vaccine that confers long-term immunity.
- Scott will keep the VT mask mandate in place until most Vermonters are vaccinated.