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 8.3.21.
Governor Scott’s administration will be releasing an advisory for school districts on covid mitigation measures within the next few days. Unlike the guidelines issued last school year under the state of emergency, school districts are not required to follow the recommendations. The advisory will recommend mask wearing in school for all students under the age of 12 (and currently ineligible for the vaccine). For students over the age of 12 and staff, the advisory will recommend that both vaccinated and unvaccinated students and staff wear masks for the first few weeks of school, allowing vaccinated staff and students to stop wearing masks once the school community reaches an 80% vaccination rate. Unvaccinated student and staff should continue mask-wearing.
Dr. Levine continues to encourage Vermonters to get vaccinated to increase our 84.1% vaccination rate. The Delta variant is the dominant covid strain in the state – out of 56 samples sequenced in Vermont in recent weeks, 48 were the Delta variant. Levine said that the Delta variant spreads twice as easily from one person to the other than previous variants and vaccination gives people 8 fold lower risk of infection, and 25 fold lower risk of being hospitalized if infected.
Notedly, Governor Scott said that there is currently no need for broad mitigation measures to be put in place today.
NOTES:
- Governor Scott:
- Dr. Walensky – New science about Delta variant. 1000 cases associated with Provincetown outbreak – 7 hospitalizations and 0 deaths. Vaccines working.
- 3 people hospitalized in VT from Covid.
- Don’t feel need for any broad mitigation measures in place today. Have effective vaccines that are saving lives – we have high vaccination rate. Vaccines key to how we handle virus – affect risk assessment.
- Nationally – more than 99.99% of vaccinated Americans have not required hospitalization due to covid.
- Next week – Advisory memo to schools for in-person instruction – 5 days/week:
- Recommended all students under the age of 12 – who cannot be vaccinated – to wear mask in school.
- Students 12 and older eligible for vaccine – once 80% of eligible students have gotten one dose, will advise schools to drop masking requirements.
- Commissioner Pieciak:
- Cases and hospitalizations rising across the country – impact based on vaccination rate.
- Anticipated that cases will rise nationally for another 4-5 weeks before improving.
- Median age of Vermonters who tested positive – 30 years old.
- 25 times less likely to require hospitalization if you contract covid and are vaccinated.
- VT – 84.1% have had at least one shot. 90k have not.
- Secretary Dan French:
- Parallel advisory for child care programs in addition to one that that Dr. Levine and Secretary French will issue for schools this week.
- Will be starting school with full in person instruction and nominal mitigation instructions.
- Unlikely that Vermont’s conditions with necessitate a State of Emergency this year.
- Recommendations:
- Stay home when you’re sick
- For first few weeks of school – all students and staff wear masks. No distancing requirements.
- After first few weeks – require masks only until 80% of students in a school have received at least one dose. Will then recommend that schools only require masks for unvaccinated students and staff.
- Masks required on buses.
- Testing and contact tracing continued.
- Advisory memos will be issued throughout the year as needed.
- Secretary Mike Smith:
- Pandemic of the unvaccinated.
- (Lists clinic locations)
- Will be scheduling school based clinics.
- Health Insurance – American Rescue Plan makes $25 million available to Vermonters to purchase plans on Vermont Health Connect – will lower cost for VT’ers. $490 plans now $190 a month. Can change plans until August 15th.
- Commissioner Levine:
- Out of 56 samples sequenced in recent weeks – 48 were the Delta variant in VT.
- Spreads twice as easily from one person to the other than previous variants of the virus.
- Vaccinated people are a very small percentage of people who transmit virus.
- Vaccination gives you 8 fold lower risk of infection, 25 fold lower risk of being hospitalized if infected.
- People being not vaccinated leads to virus spread and mutation.
- May want to wear mask indoors in areas of higher transmission rate.
- Consider getting tested if you have any possible symptoms
- Questions:
- French –
- May have to take up issue of NH students in school with a separate advisory.
- Schools organized where -mostly- 12 year olds will not be mixing with older kids. Will provide guidance for kids in those situations will they will.
- Will work with schools to determine how students will certify that they are vaccinated.
- Voluntary testing for students and staff.
- Haven’t addressed sports yet. Will address in the coming weeks (including sports).
- At this point – schools don’t need to have remote learning plans “waiting in the wings.”
- Levine –
- There will be cases in schools – just like there will be in all sectors of society. There were cases last year.
- Have two mitigation strategies to use – vaccination and masking in an indoor setting. Will be very important allies to keep students in in person learning.
- Contact tracing will continue.
- Contextualizing CDC guidance for situation in Vermont.
- Slight increase showing breakthrough with J and J vaccine. Not statistically significant at this time though (small sample size).
- Scott –
- Q – “Do you think that any governor who has been found to have sexually harassed current and former employees should resign?”
- Scott – Would be a decision for them to make.
- Q – “Do you think that any governor who has been found to have sexually harassed current and former employees should resign?”
- French –
- School districts can or cannot follow our guidance. Districts could have different guidance. (Won’t/can’t impose without State of Emergency).
- Not discussing requiring students to get vaccines at this time.
- School boards have control over their school districts – if they impose mask mandate and refuse entry to student who doesn’t wear mask… – will have to examine issue more deeply. Dept. of Education has strong interest in student not being allowed to enter school.
- Levine –
- CDC has come out with new guidance for those who are vaccinated and have had contact with case – we’re examining.
- Not currently recommending that vaccinated people get prophylactically tested if not required and if asymptomatic.
- Typical experience with young person under 12 getting covid – mild symptoms. No deaths. May have been a hospitalization. Haven’t had someone with long-covid – multi-system inflammatory syndrome.
- Suspect that EUA for vaccine for those under 12 will come sometime in the fall.
- Scott –
- Q – Mandate for state employees? (City of Burlington is considering)
- Scott – Not considering it at this point. Don’t know what VSEA reaction would be. Would likely have to negotiated with the union.
- Q – Mandate for state employees? (City of Burlington is considering)
- Pieciak:
- 12-17 year old group is about 68%.
- Scott-
- Have not had heard an update on the northern border.
- French –