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 9.21.21.
During today’s press conference, Secretary of Education Dan French announced that his Department of Education will be issuing a new policy that limits contact tracing to schools with a vaccination rate of less than 80 percent. In schools with a vaccination rate greater than 80 percent, students who were in contact with someone who tests positive will receive a letter home urging students to get testing in 3-5 days. The new policy is aimed at reducing the number of days that students need to quarantine and miss in-class instruction and allow contract tracing resources to be focused on younger grades.
Gov. Scott also announced that the emergency motel housing program is extended for thirty days. The program, which is currently housing 541 households, was set to end on Thursday.
NOTES:
- Governor Phil Scott:
- Technical glitch with IT vendor delayed test reporting from Sept. 9-17. Issue has been resolved. Makes day-to-day projection a little murky.
- Regardless, we know we have had case counts in the 100s-200s in the last week.
- Hospitalizations are up, but still below our peak.
- Upticks driven more and more by the unvaccinated – 80% of hospitalizations and 83% in ICU.
- Continues to urge vaccination – “best path forward.”
- Some would like to see more restrictions put in place – would take a state of emergency, and broad restrictions had harmful impacts in other areas – delayed health care, isolation, remote schooling, economic effects… vaccine is game changer and best tool in toolbox.
- Most fully vaccinated population in country.
- Implemented policy effective this week that all state employees must be vaccinated, or wear mask and test. Encourage schools to implement similar policy.
- Masking – every school but one has a masking requirement; if you’re not vaccinated, you should absolutely wear a mask while indoors.
- Vaccinated individuals should wear a mask while in crowded indoor settings.
- Some delays in testing – but looking to remedy.
- Data doesn’t support step (to state of emergency) – don’t think it’s the right approach, and my team hasn’t recommended it. Would be an abuse of my authority.
- Covid-19 is going to be here awhile – need to use the tools we have to help people make smart decisions.
- Admin is looking at key data points pre and post vaccine – to see impact on people and state. Starting with older Vermonters (long-term care facilities), then other updates – including more details on hospitalizations and fatality rates. Info on what makes people vulnerable.
- Commissioner Mike Pieciak:
- Yesterday – the US passed the 1918 flu death threshold.
- Three more deaths in VT.
- Believe that vaccine saved 520 lives – VT has lowest per capita death rate in the country.
- Nationally – numbers have come down.
- VT seven-day average – impacted by tech glitch – highest of pandemic.
- Higher Ed – vaccination rate near 95%.
- 136 cases in long-term care facilities last week.
- Unvaccinated driving hospitalization rates up.
- Secretary Dan French:
- Reviewed contact tracing in schools – hearing that current process is not sustainable – have to continue to make adjustments. One school spent over 20 hours contact tracing and only a few students had to quarantine – in a large school population with a 90% vax rate.
- Students are missing learning days.
- Can use high vax rate to shift contact tracing resources to younger grades.
- Will be announcing a change in policy that limits contact tracing to schools with a vax rate of less than 80%. In schools greater than 80% – students in classes affected will receive a letter home urging students to get testing in 3-5 days.
- Prioritizing testing in schools where there is a case in schools. Piloting the use of take-home PCR tests in 5 districts. Used when a close contact or staying home and symptomatic.
- Last week talked to White House US Dept of Labor and about using OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) OSHA – mandating vaccines for private employers of over 100 employees – 26 states (including Vermont) have approved state plans that would expand mandate to include public sector employees (including school employees). Vermont’s plan must be at least as stringent as fed regulation. Would cover about 60 of 154 school employing entities would have to require vaccination. Won’t know specific of ETS until later this fall – once it’s published VT will have 30 days to amend state plan – VT considering state requirement to include all school districts, not just those having more than 100 employees.
- In process of designing data collection for schools for vaccination rates for students and teachers.
- Secretary Mike Smith:
- Booster shots – Proposal for Pfizer booster shot reviewed by FDA last Friday, must now go to CDC for review and potential approval this week. Recommended a third Pfizer dose for those 65 and up who were vaccinated 6 months ago. Also those at high risk over 16. CDC will determine what high risk is. VT prepping for boosters. Likely that approval will come later this week – and registration will start the day after approval, and appointments shortly thereafter. Feds will also be looking at booster need for Moderna and J and J.
- Piloting testing in schools – ongoing surveillance and testing at schools when case at school with contacts and take-home tests.
- State employee testing starting at hubs.
- Exploring but haven’t made a final decision about altering process on reporting daily case counts – to curtail need to update case counts. Outside labs IT vendor was causing delays. Impacted many states. Problem identified and fixed. As of Thursday night – all delayed tests had been cleared.
- Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine:
- Time in pandemic that’s difficult to predict. Delta variant continues to spread.
- People who are not vaccinated are paying a higher price.
- Children under 12 – 25% of cases.
- 90% in ICU are unvaccinated.
- Potential vaccination date for kids 5-11 late October pending EUA for Pfizer.
- Questions:
- Smith – Covid is not only factor causing capacity issues at hospitals. Workforce shortages are impacting.
- Gov. Scott – Imposing 30-day pause on emergency housing program changes.
- Scott – Afghan refugees coming in the next 4-6 weeks.
- Pieciak – Why cases up 20% here after Labor Day and down 20% nationally? Other places in a decline because they had such high case counts.
- Levine – Orleans county uptick? More unvaccinated people, community transmission, not necessarily spreader event.
- Scott – None of 541 households that were scheduled to have to leave their emergency housing will have to leave for now. Will have to get very creative with housing.
- Levine – Comfortable with new school contact tracing policy.
- Levine – Re: packaging for cannabis – process is evolving with Cannabis Control Board – tamper-proof aspect of product, warnings, and labeling that is not attractive to minors important.
- 70% of state employees have attested to being vaccinated.
- French – Take-home PCR test pilot program paid for with federal grant.
- Scott (re: thoughts about economy) – Concerned about workforce shortage, demographics, and inflation.
- Scott – Unable to specifically revise daily case numbers due to tech glitch.
- Pieciak – Uptake for vaccination for age 12-17 is 77% – highest in the country.