Governor Scott’s Press Conference 6/14/22

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Innkeepers are a busy bunch. To save you time, VLA attends Governor Scott’s press conferences and takes notes for you. Below is the summary from 6/15/22.

Governor Scott’s weekly press conference focused on recovery from “harms from some of the (Covid) mitigation measures that were put in place.” Scott listed learning loss, social and emotional ramifications for kids, strain on educators and health care workers, and mental health and substance abuse as issues that his administration would be addressing now that Covid is endemic. Both Secretary Samuelson and Secretary French detailed short- and long-term goals for recovery, and metrics that the administration will be using to determine progress.

When questioned about his veto of H.728, the opioid overdose services response bill, Governor Scot said that he opposed the study of overdose prevention sites because the administration wants to continue on working on strategies that were “somewhat successful” pre-pandemic – “prevention, treatment, recovery, and enforcement.” He added that the Health Department doesn’t think it’s a good idea, and neither does he. Commissioner Levine said the harm reduction programs in place before the pandemic were reducing opioid-related deaths, and that isolation (due to Covid mitigation measures) was one of the major reasons for increased drug-related deaths the past two years. Levine also said that it’d be hard to see how overdose prevention sites would be successful in Vermont due to rural and dispersed population and services.

NOTES:

  • Governor Phil Scott:
    • Important to reduce the harms from some of the mitigation measures that we put in place before we had tools (to handle Covid). Include learning loss, social and emotional ramifications for our kids, strain on educators and health care workers, mental health and substance use issues that worsened during the pandemic… all of this is still with us, priority for my team.
    • Some of the steps we took, have been difficult to overcome. Need to do whatever we can to reverse these impacts.
    • Commissioner Schirling is here – this will be his last press briefing with us. (Thanks him).
  • Commissioner Schirling:
    • Thanks the governor, his teams.
  • Secretary Samuelson:
    • We’ve reached a new phase in the pandemic where risk of severe illness and death is much lower.
    • New tools allow us to move away from mitigation measures.
    • Can now look forward to birthdays, festivals, farmers markets, gatherings.
    • Transitioning to a focus on Covid-related impacts of our mitigation measures.
    • Emerging from the pandemic, we are focusing on three areas of concern:
      • Increase of incidence of substance use and acute mental health challenges
      • Further stabilize health care system and its workforce
      • Challenges to families and children across the state – including housing insecurity
    • Will use key indicators and metrics to measure
      • Mental health – # of Vermonters seeking access to mental health services. Work to measure and stem tide due to suicide and drug overdoses.
        • Were able to make a difference in these key measures before the pandemic, and we’re beginning to see signals that they’re declining, but we have lost ground over the last two years.
      • Health Care system – monitor number of beds in different types of facilities that are staffed. Looking at number of people in hospitals and emergency departments who are waiting to skilled nursing facilities and other health providers.
      • Housing – have been successful at helping more families than ever find permanent housing. But will be tracking number of people in emergency housing,
      • Some efforts underway – implementing 998 (Suicide hotline) this summer.
    • S.11 program
    • Investments in housing
  • Secretary French:
    • Federal recovery dollars need to be spent by Jan. 2024 (ESSER). Will be coordinating with local funds through state plan worked out last spring with the legislature. Every district in state has education recovery plans. Posted on Ed. website.
    • Created with state dollars – facilities improvement projects.
    • Recovery spending will now follow similar patterns. Immediate and long-term goals.
    • Immediate goals: student academics.
    • Secondary Goals: Social and emotional impact on students.
    • Long term goal: Improve education system. Ensure that each school district has strong instructional systems in place (curriculum development). Integration of education and social services – especially in mental health and youth services. When 2-year recovery period has ended – would like to see better integration.
    • Key investment will be a wellness program for staff. Will be announcing partnership with VEHI.
    • Metrics – general in nature. Local metrics responsive to individual students and schools. Rely on a few metrics we already have – state level assessment info (SBAC for elementary and middle school). At high school level – percent of students scoring a 3 or better on AP exams. CTE programs – monitoring percentage of students who complete their programs and complete industry credential. Partner with AHS to look at kindergarten readiness rates, children accessing crisis services, accessing DAs.
  • Commissioner Levine:
    • As of end of last week, statewide Covid levels considered low. Look at new cases, new hospital admissions, percentage of patients in beds with Covid. One death in June. ER visits with Covid-like illness decreasing, wastewater numbers too.
    • Data showing the virus is causing less severe illness in VT.
    • Children under 5 – both Pfizer and Moderna have submitted data to fed regulators – still a few steps that need to happen before the vaccines are available for children in Vermont. But will await final FDA decision, CDC recommendation. If that happens, could be available as early as last week of June. Available at pediatrician’s offices and other health care settings. Resources for WIC families and very limited walk-in clinics.
    • Later this month – FDA will discuss updated vaccine for the fall.
    • Anyone age 50+ or immunocompromised, 2 boosters.
    • Testing – State testing centers will close by the end of June 25. At-home tests are fastest and most convenient option. Can order from gov for three rounds of tests, or from insurers. Can also pick up at testing sites in Vermont now.
  • Questions:
    • Would you say it’s endemic now?
      • Levine – Yes. Have we all arrived at endemic, no. And that’s ok – we’re all in a transition to endemic. It’s the way we live our lives.
    • Last surveillance report posted – June 1 – reported community level was high, but now they’re low?
      • Levine – Report I just quoted is posted now. New Covid cases in last 7 days – 125/100,000. Weekly case count 785. New hospital admissions – 5.6/100,000.
    • What is your level of concern for outbreaks heading into summer?
      • Levine – Right now, very low level of concern. BA2 seems to have passed through. BA4 and 5 making up increasing number of cases nationwide. Unclear what the impact will be.
    • You raised issue of needing to address overdose deaths – can you provide your take on overdose prevention sites in the bill the governor vetoed? Why you think that might not be a viable option?
      • Levine – At the outset, need to keep in mind that what’s happened with opioid overdose deaths is always an ongoing tragedy, not just last two years. Everyone is interested in working to reduce that trend and the broad theme is harm reduction. Prior to the pandemic, we were showing significant decrease in our opioid death rate – because we’ve had a whole array of services in the harm reduction realm – syringe service programs, including mobile. Expanded Narcan distribution, fentanyl test strips, bill last year on buprenorphine decriminalization. Very very actively working on prevention  – youth and young adults. School counselors, prevention coalitions, afterschool, and summer programs – have been successfully expanded during the pandemic. Literature about overdose prevention sites is beginning to increase, but still about 80% of the literature is from two sites in the world – Vancouver and Sydney – different than Vermont. Whether the sites have shown to have validity is one thing, generalizability to places in a rural state like Vermont is another thing. The challenges in abusing places like that. So we’ll continue to use all of the strategies that we’ve been using. Knowing we’re a rural state with a dispersed population and services, it makes it more challenging to see how these sites may be successful. During the pandemic, one of the major reasons for increased drug-related deaths was isolation. Root of many unfortunate events during pandemic. Isolation when you’re injecting drugs can be very lethal when fentanyl can be in 90% of what you’re purchasing and you might be alone and not have anyone to resuscitate you. And going to an overdose prevention site was probably the furthest thing on someone’s mind during the pandemic when they were operating much more in a solitary way. I know the gov has something to say about the components of the bill.
      • Scott: We were focusing pre-pandemic on the four legs of the stool – prevention, treatment, recovery, enforcement. All somewhat successful. Focusing on what we know is successful is the best strategy coming out of the pandemic. We’ve studied this and I’m sure that there’ll be more studies – the Opioid Council studied it, the Health Department doesn’t think it’s a good idea, and I don’t think it’s a good idea, so we’re going to focus on what we know works.
    • Earlier today there was a school shooting threat in Canaan – recently threat in Montpelier… what is your message to people who are nervous about this?
      • Scott – We all feel the apprehension as well. A lot of copycat type of situations. Say something if you see something. Doing work on emotional recovery.
      • French – Been a challenging several weeks. VT does have a very strong school safety program – but we can always do more. In the last year have made a significant investment in threat assessment training. Most or all districts have school safety plans. Will likely double down on threat assessment – discussions on whether to mandate. Haven’t assessed quality of school safety plans – difficult to do because they’re based on the districts’ unique resources.
    • March for our Lives – what is your opinion on assault weapons bans?
      • Scott – More on national level. Took steps here a few years ago. Looks like they have an agreement – probably won’t go as far as we did. But what we did should be replicated on a national basis.
    • Data showing that uptake of second booster low – any idea why?
      • Levine – Done very well with people getting the first booster. What’s happened is a little bit of booster fatigue. Or hoping another move effective yearly vaccine will become available. But people should protect themselves against worst outcome.
    • Feels as if you and Dr. Levine are so confident that they’re won’t be a spike in the fall – why?
      • Scott – I think we’re talking about this summer. But I would suspect that come fall those numbers will increase.
      • Levine – Agree with gov. Fed saying there will be 100 million cases come winter. Hope that we’ll have an updated vaccine in the fall.
    • Expectations for summer tourist season?
      • Scott – Concerned about inflation and gas prices, but looking like people deciding to drive – maybe 3-5 hours drive willing to come to VT. One of most beautiful, safe states in country. Looking good.
    • Watching Jan. 6 hearings?
      • Scott – Have been watching some. Has been eye-opening. Wish more people were watching. Only 19 million watching. Assault on our democracy. An insurrection. We’ll see as it continues.