Vermont reporters provide a roundup of ongoing local coverage of the coronavirus, public art in downtown Rutland and more for Tuesday, July 21.
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The Vermont Department of Health reports seven new cases of COVID-19
The Vermont Department of Health reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases confirmed to date in the state to 1,366. Of the new cases, four were identified in Chittenden County, one was identified in Franklin County and two were confirmed in Bennington County.
No new deaths were announced Tuesday, through three people are hospitalized in Vermont with confirmed cases. An additional 16 people are hospitalized with symptoms under investigation.
So far, 1,148 people have recovered from confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Vermont, and state officials report that 84,947 people have been tested.
Currently, 97 people are being monitored as close contacts of confirmed or presumed cases, and 1,152 people are being monitored after traveling.
- Abagael Giles
More from Vermont Edition: The Latest On Manchester's Potential COVID-19 Outbreak
State health officials say most of the cases in a suspected southern Vermont outbreak were false positives
The Vermont Department of Health said Tuesday most of the cases of COVID-19 in a suspected outbreak in Manchester have turned out to be false positives.
Last week the Manchester Medical Center said 65 people tested positive for the virus using an antigen test – which returns results more quickly, but is not used by the state for confirming coronavirus cases.
Health Commissioner Mark Levine said the state has tested 52 of the 65 suspected cases and only found four instances of the virus. Levine said further testing of 1,600 people at pop-up sites only found an additional five cases.
“The percent positivity rate in the two counties remains as low as the state overall, below 2%. Therefore we do not believe community transmission of COVID-19 is occurring,” Levine said.
Levine said the state and the Manchester Medical Center are investigating why the antigen and state tests had different results.
"The clinicians at the Manchester Medical Center continue to work cooperatively with us and are just as concerned about finding the explanation for the discordant test results between antigen and PCR as we are," he said.
More from Vermont Edition: The Latest On Manchester's Potential COVID-19 Outbreak
- Liam Elder-Connors
Gov. Scott hints at a statewide mask mandate, possibly as soon as friday
Gov. Phil Scott said Tuesday he expects to announce a statewide mask mandate in the near future, possibly as soon as Friday.
Scott has resisted calls to issue a mask requirement, saying he has concerns about how it would be enforced. He has also said that Vermont’s generally low COVID-19 infection rates don’t warrant taking that step.
But he said that soaring cases of COVID-19 in other parts of the country are concerning.
“If it continues to look like this fire is headed back towards us, an expanded mask policy will be part of the mix,” Scott said.
Scott said he’ll have more information by Friday when the state presents its modeling of coronavirus infections across the country.
"If it's not Friday, it would be sometime in the future. I just sense that we're going to have this, what we're seeing again throughout the West and South and up the East Coast. It looks like it is coming back towards us, so we want to prepare," Scott said.
Scott said the state already requires facial coverings for people using public transportation and for retail workers.
- Liam Elder-Connors
Zuckerman and Holcombe spar over vaccines during gubernatorial primary debate
Second-term Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman is running for governor, and pushing back against critics accusing him of opposing vaccines.
In a VPR/Vermont PBS debate Tuesday, former education secretary and fellow candidate for governor Rebecca Holcombe called out Zuckerman’s 2015 support for the state's philosophical exemptions to public school vaccine mandates.
“Which really applied an untenable standard that went against the advice of public health experts,” Holcombe said.
Zuckerman’s shot back — saying he ultimately voted to end the exemptions — and accused Holcombe of “distorting” his views. “I’ve not been unclear. I support vaccines and I will follow medical professionals’ advice on making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory,” Zuckerman said.
Zuckerman and Holcombe are among four Democrats seeking the party’s nomination for governor in Vermont’s August 11th primary.
- Matthew Smith
Longtime activist calls for radical rethinking of Vermont's economy during gubernatorial primary debate
A longtime activist seeking the Democratic party's nominee for Governor says Vermont needs to radically rethink its economy.
Ralph Corbo is a Wallingford Democrat who said during a VPR/Vermont PBS debate that he supports “de-militarizing” society and transforming the state’s economy.
“We have to think outside the box, and think about turning the entire economy of the state into something of a ‘Green Peace Economy,’ maybe something on the order of becoming the organic garden bread basket of the whole east coast,” Winburn said.
Corbo is also challenging incumbent Peter Welch for Vermont’s sole congressional seat.
The primary is August 11th.
- Matthew Smith
Winburn calls for investment in infrastructure during gubernatorial primary debate
A political newcomer hoping to be the Democratic candidate for Governor says he wants to bolster infrastructure like broadband.
Bennington lawyer Patrick Winburn has never run for statewide office and describes himself as a progressive Democrat.
Winburn said the economic downturn due to the pandemic is not the time for austerity.
“I don’t believe that we can cut our way out of recession. We need investments. We need infrastructure investments,” Winburn said.
Winburn said he favors legalizing—and taxing—cannabis sales to pay for those investments.
The primary is on August 11th.
- Matthew Smith
Holcombe calls for implicit bias training during gubernatorial primary debate
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Holcombe said racial equity would be a key factor in her decisions for the state.
Rebecca Holcombe was Secretary of Education for 15 months for Governor Phil Scott until stepping down in 2018.
During a VPR/Vermont PBS debate, Holcombe called for implicit bias training for all state workers.
“I’d evaluate every single policy proposal that came to me, through the lines of, uh, the eyes of equity, to make sure it would be truly sharing opportunity and not reinforcing the inequities we already have,” Holcombe said.
Holcombe is one of four Democrats running for governor in Vermont’s August 11th primary.
- Matthew Smith
Former Manchester police officer pleads not guilty to charges of stealing
A former Manchester police officer has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of stealing over 2,000 dollars seized during a police investigation.
Vermont State Police said the Manchester police chief contacted them in April 2018 after the money was discovered to be missing from the department's evidence room. At the time, then-officer Daniel Steere was temporarily serving as the department evidence custodian. State police said Steere was placed on administrative leave during the investigation and was later fired after an internal investigation.
The Bennington Banner reports that Steere pleaded not guilty on July 13 to grand larceny greater than $900, and embezzlement in an official capacity.
- The Associated Press
Electric utilities and local internet start-ups team up to bid on broadband funding
A $16 billion federal program to boost broadband internet has spurred interest in Vermont from an unusual coalition of the state's electric utilities and local internet start-ups.
Dover Representative Laura Sibilia is vice chair of the House Energy and Technology Committee. She's worked recently with one of the teams that may bid for the federal money. She said the team involves two communications union districts in southern Vermont.
"I think that model could be really helpful as we continue to try and democratize telecommunications infrastructure in the state of Vermont and ensure that all Vermonters have access," Sibilia said.
The Federal Communications District will open the competition for the federal money in Octoer. Last week was the deadline for parties to file a preliminary application to compete for the funds.
Read or listen to the full story.
- John Dillon
PCR testing confirms just four cases of COVID-19 among 65 positive antigen tests
Only a handful of new coronavirus cases have been confirmed amid concerns of an outbreak in Southwest Vermont.
Manchester Medical Center reported 65 positive cases of COVID-19 this month using rapid antigen testing, but a slower, more accurate PCR test so far has confirmed only four of those cases.
PCR tests last week screened more than 1,400 people in Manchester and Londonderry, finding only three new cases.
Dr. Janel Kittredge, medical director of the Manchester clinic told Vermont Edition Monday that figuring reliable testing is the only way to truly manage the pandemic.
"If it's with the rapid antigen, let's fix that, so that we have a better test," Kittredge said. "And this is where we need to collaborate with the Vermont Department of Health, as well as the CDC. We need to look at all the aspects. Let's find where the hole happened, and fix it."
Hours or sometimes days can pass before tests can be processed in a lab, just one factor at play in recent test discrepancies.
Listen to the full conversation, as heard on Vermont Edition.
- Matthew Smith
Update 12:39 p.m. 7/21/2020. Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine announced at a press conference held Tuesday, July 21 at 11 a.m., that of the 65 people who tested positive at Manchester Medical Center using an antigen test, 52 of those people have now taken PCR tests, and four have tested positive. Of the 52 who received positive antigen tests, 48 tested negative with PCR testing.
As of the Monday airing of Vermont Edition, where this interview occurred, 64 antigen tests had come back positive from the clinic, and just two had been confirmed with positive PCR tests.
Rutland residents react to a new downtown mural
Rutland residents are reacting to a new mural in downtown Rutland that was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
The painting is a massive portrait of a young Black girl with a sunflower, and resident Jen Denton called it a welcome addition.
"I'm proud of Rutland. And honestly, if you had asked me two years ago if this was something I would expect to see, or even maybe understand in a way that I understand today, the answer would have been 'No,'" Denton said. "It could not have come at a better time."
Rutland artist Lopi LaRoe created the mural, which is nearly four stories tall and covers a brick wall overlooking the Center Street alley. LaRoe said the police killings of Black men and women by police officers pushed her to create something to get people thinking.
Read or listen to the full story.
- Nina Keck
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