Vermont reporters provide a round-up of ongoing local coverage of coronavirus for Tuesday, April 14.
Loading...
Almost 300 temporary health care licenses issued
Almost 300 people have been issued temporary state licenses to bolster Vermont's health care workforce during the coronavirus outbreak.
Secretary of State Jim Condos said the 90-day licenses are available to retired health care professionals, new nursing graduates and medical providers from out of state to help Vermont meet its health care emergency.
"These folks are able to assist us through our emergency rules that we issued with regard to temporary licenses tele-health, and our temporary licenses in order to get them active and ready to go,” Condos said.
Nursing personnel make up roughly 60% of all temporary licenses issued.
- Bob Kinzel
Blue Cross: 2,000% increase in telemedicine claims during coronavirus crisis
Health care officials believe that telemedicine services will be a key part of Vermont's future.
After new reimbursement rules were put into place in March, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont has experienced a 2,000% increase in telemedicine claims during the coronavirus outbreak.
Blue Cross had over 14,000 telemedicine claims in the past six weeks, compared to just 580 in the same time period last year.
Blue Cross spokesperson Sara Teachout said more than 1,500 local providers are now using these services, and she's optimistic it will continue after the pandemic.
"I think we definitely expect that it will have some long-term staying power,” Teachout said. “There certainly are advantages – convenience is definitely a big factor. Now that people have had a chance to try, get a taste for telemedicine, both the provider and the patient, those who like it will continue to use it."
- Bob Kinzel
Hanover officials concerned about Dartmouth frats, sororities returning to campus
Hanover officials are concerned that Dartmouth College students may be returning to campus and violating social distancing orders once they arrive.
Campus dorms are closed. But most fraternities, sororities, and off-campus rental units are privately held.
Hanover health officers have already responded to a beer pong gathering in the driveway of an off-campus rental.
Hanover Town Manager Julia Griffin said other nearby towns may also be affected.
“We got wind that a couple of the fraternities had decided to rent large houses in Quechee and essentially relocate their fraternities to out-of-state and out-of-town locations across the border in Vermont,” she said.
College administrators are reminding students that failure to follow quarantine and other social distancing measures could jeopardize their academic standing.
- Betty Smith
Christine Hallquist recovering from COVID-19
Former gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist is recovering from COVID-19 in Syracuse, New York.
Hallquist said she tested positive last week. She believes she contracted the disease at the senior living facility where she's been caring for her elderly mother.
Hallquist said the virus hit her hard.
"Every day I would get up, my fever would be over 101,” she said. “It would range between 101 and 103, and I just couldn't move. It was a brutal illness."
Hallquist ran against Gov. Phil Scott in 2018, but she said she's been impressed by Scott's handling of the crisis. She added she would not be doing much differently if she were governor. Read the full story here.
- Henry Epp
Vermont airports receive $9M in federal relief
Vermont airports will split over $9 million from federal relief efforts for the coronavirus.
Burlington International Airport will get the lion's share — over $8.7 million.
Southern Vermont Regional Airport in Rutland will receive $69,000.
Seven smaller airports around the state will get $30,000 each. And the state airport in Springfield will receive $20,000.
- Amy Kolb Noyes
Vermont faces $190M shortfall in FY 2021
The Scott administration says lawmakers will need to work on a supplemental budget in May to deal with the economic damage from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finance Commissioner Adam Greshin told the Joint Fiscal Committee on Tuesday that the state faces a $190 million shortfall in fiscal year 2021.
He said state agencies are now being asked to look at their operating budgets for savings as well as possible cuts.
“We're asking them to try to use the resources they have to address upward pressures that they may be experiencing, and let us know where they are,” Greshin said. “And to the extent that they have upward pressures that they can address through existing resources, to consider other funding uses that will close that gap.”
Lawmakers wanted more details on the $1.25 billion in federal COVID relief money the state will receive, and to know if the money can be used to help the state process unemployment claims, which have faced a massive backlog.
- John Dillon
Tax deadline pushed to July, but commissioner encourages on-time filing for refunds
Wednesday's traditional April 15 tax filing deadline has been pushed back until July 15. But Vermont Tax Commissioner Craig Bolio wants to remind people that if they are expecting a refund, they should file under the usual schedule.
He said the Tax Department is trying to get money back to taxpayers as quickly as possible.
“We've got all of our staff working remotely at this point,” Bolio said. “We're still pumping out those refunds. And we really see it as way to help Vermonters at a very challenging time when many are feeling economic insecurity.”
The deadline for filing a state homestead declaration and property tax declaration has also been pushed back until July. But Bolio said the state is still required by law to send claims for property tax credits back to towns by July 1. He added that's a disconnect in the current law that the Legislature is likely to address.
- John Dillon
COVID-19 case increase smaller over last day
Vermont recorded only four new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, according to the health department.
That is the smallest daily increase in a month. And it comes a day after Health Commissioner Mark Levine said new cases could be approaching a plateau.
There's also been another death, bringing the total number of fatalities to 29.
There are now 752 known cases of COVID-19 in the state, and 31 people are hospitalized.
- Amy Kolb Noyes
Rutland hospital furloughing 9% workforce
Rutland Regional Medical Center is furloughing 150 people, or almost 9% of its staff, through June 20.
The Rutland Herald reports that CEO Claudio Fort said the staff will be put on unpaid medical leave. The hospital will continue to pay their health insurance premiums.
Fort said that Rutland area residents should not be concerned about losing their hospital, adding, “We have enough cash and enough resources to withstand months of this, not just weeks.”
- Sam Gale Rosen
