GOVERNOR SCOTT COVID-19 PRESS CONFERENCE 12/28/2021

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 12.28.21.

Governor Phil Scott announced that the state will be distributing home test kits for Covid to the parents of Vermont schoolchildren to administer before end of the holiday break. Education Secretary Dan French also said that schools will be switching from PCR to LAMP testing after the break. French said that he anticipated that some schools would have to close over the next few weeks due to staff shortage caused by Omicron, but the waiver process will be used in lieu of remote schooling to meet school year length requirements.

Scott and his officials also said that the CDC’s announcement regarding new Covid isolation and quarantine guidelines was a surprise, and that they were reviewing the recommendations to determine how they will be incorporated into state recommendations and guidelines.

NOTES:

  • Governor Scott:
    • Call yesterday with other governors and Pres. Biden – President committed to moving forward safely with schools and businesses open. Have the tools for this – vaccines, testing, mask wearing inside. Will be 1 billion distributed.
    • Vermont distributed tens of thousands last week. Received a shipment of tests recently – intended for schools and long term care facilities, but will distribute excess.
    • Next day or so will be announcing details on program to get take-home tests to kids before kids return to school – goal to have over 80k tests available to parents over the next week.
  • Commissioner Mike Pieciak:
    • Cases up in parts of the country but hospitalizations haven’t seen the same increase.
    • Cases in NE states have increased 34%, but hospitalizations relatively stable.
    • Cases in Vermont relatively stable in last 7 days – up 7%, but testing down 18%.
    • 72% of hospitalizations are unvaccinated. Capacity in beds and ICU beds increasing.
    • 23 times more likely to be hospitalized if someone who is unvaccinated contracts Covid.
    • 47 fatalities in Vermont in December.
  • Secretary Dan French:
    • One of priorities is to keep the schools open after school vacation.
    • 40% of students 5-11 have received both Pfizer shots.
    • Expanded the use of antigen testing for Test to Stay Program. Will be shifting program – distributing them to parents to administer.
    • Will shift from PCR to LAMP testing in schools shortly after holiday break.
    • Mitigation recommendations – pushing back non-masking at 80%. Remote learning not under consideration at this point.
    • Will likely be some school closures in the next weeks due to staffing shortages.
    • Will deal with closures through waiver process (re: days in session required).
  • Secretary Mike Smith:
    • 53% of population have gotten booster.
    • Test before gathering with other households. Wear a mask as much as possible when inside.
    • This week, will distribute as many take-home tests as last week.
    • Hospitals – capacity remains steady.
    • Secretary Smith retiring at the end of the week – many thanks.
  • Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine:
    • Omicron will soon become dominant in Vermont.
    • CDC announced new guidance for isolation and quarantine. Most transmission of Omicron is at beginning of illness – CDC cutting isolation recommendation to 5 days. Vermont adopting recommendations effective immediately.
    • No need to get a confirmatory PCR test if you test positive with a take-home test unless you’re eligible for treatment.
    • Officials watching hospitalization and death data, not case counts. If fully protected, will likely have mild symptoms.
    • Monoclonal antibody treatment – for those over 65 or with certain conditions.
    • Omicron – 55% of cases nationally.
    • (Levine describes various monoclonal antibody treatments.)
    • Nearing point where Covid becomes endemic, but have a ways to go.
  • Questions:
    • Gov. Scott – Hope to discuss plan soon for test kit distribution.
    • Smith: Some testing sites have increased hours.
    • Scott: Surprised about new CDC guidance – still reviewing.
    • Lower infections rates in towns that have passed mask mandates? Scott – Difficult to determine – 17 or 19 out of 251 villages have passed mask mandates. We’re very mobile, so hard to determine efficacy.
    • Testing numbers discussion…
    • Scott – We’ll work with the legislature to work with their rules, haven’t determined if I’ll be there in person for the State of the State. Need to make best decision for their members. It’s my hope that it’s short lived if they go remote. They’ll get a better product – being in person, face to face is essential to our process. Hope it doesn’t last the entire session.
    • Scott: The state will be distributing tests to students this week, not schools.
    • Smith: No update on investigation into reports made to DCF re: Georgia school teacher.
    • Scott: Tourism industry has been performing quite well over the fall with the receipts – appears that we’ll have a successful winter season.
      • Kurrle – Seen a nice rebound with hospitality and tourism industry. We’re seen as a safe place to be – with outdoor activities. There are workforce challenges…feeling very fortunate about where we’re headed.
    • Levine: For self report – 1200-1500 people have self reported. 900 of those were over holiday time. But don’t have overall rate data.
    • French: CDC recommendations just happened – think it’s good news. Whatever we do for schools is what the health department prescribes.
    • Scott: In a transitionary period and can’t tell you that we’ll be able to continue giving you the data that we have in the past two years…the antigen test will be critical in containing the virus (but we’ll lose data).
    • Levine: If someone tests positive with a home test, don’t have to confirm with a PCR test. If you test negative, but have symptoms, may want to confirm with a PCR test.