Vermont reporters provide a roundup of ongoing local coverage of the coronavirus, the reopening of Vermont's public schools and more for Friday, September 4.
Want VPR's daily news in podcast form? Get up to speed in under 20 minutes with The Frequencyevery weekday morning. How about an email newsletter? Add our daily email briefing to your morning routine.
The latest coronavirus data:
Loading...
Vermont Department of Health reports 10 new cases of COVID-19
The Vermont Department of Health reported 10 new cases of COVID-19 today. One person is currently hospitalized with the disease in Vermont, and one person is hospitalized with symptoms under investigation.
So far, there have been 1,642 cases identified in Vermont. Of the new cases identified today, three were identified in Chittenden County, two were identified in Rutland County, one was identified in Bennington County and two were identified in Addison County.
So far, the state has tested 142,198 people for active cases. There are currently 79 people being monitored as close contacts of confirmed cases.
Vermont reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 over the past week, and continues to lead the nation when it comes to low infection rates.
Commissioner of Financial Regulation Michael Pieciak said Vermont's per capita infection rate is the lowest in the nation over the past seven days, and also for the duration of the pandemic.
He said the state also has the lowest percentage of COVID-19 tests that come back positive.
"So still the top on all of those metrics which is certainly what you want to see going into reopening higher education and reopening K-through-12," Pieciak said.
He said new modeling suggests Vermont will see a mild bump in cases as school and colleges reopen this month. But, he said he doesn't expect widespread community transmission as a result of students returning to campus.
No new deaths were announced Friday.
- Abagael Giles
Nearly all returning college students are back on campuses
Nearly all of the 21,000 students attending colleges and universities in Vermont this fall are back on campus.
And State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso said so far at least, the state hasn’t seen a major spike in COVID-19.
“We’ve had a small number of cases, but they’ve been detected early, and the colleges are doing a great job of identifying those cases, getting them isolated, and ensuring that their close contacts have quarantine housing available.”]
Kelso reported that of the more than 27,000 tests administered to students as of Thursday, only 33 have yielded positive result.
Kelso said at Burlington-based colleges and universities specifically, 13 students have tested positive for COVID-19.
- Peter Hirschfeld
17 cases of COVID-19 now linked to Killington party
The Vermont Department of Health says it’s now traced 17 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to a party at the Summit Lodge in Killington last month.
State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso said 11 people who contracted the disease attended the party. She said six others caught COVID-19 from someone who did.
“There might be some community spread in the coming weeks, and we understand that community members might be anxious. Multiple testing opportunities are available this week in the Rutland and Killington areas,” Kelso said.
Kelso said that of the 49 people who attended the party, the Department of Health has been able to contact 34.
She said 15 people who attended the event live outside Vermont.
- Peter Hirschfeld
Governor says he will not intervene in peaceful protests
Gov. Phil Scott says he has no intention of intervening in the anti-racism protests that have blocked off traffic in Burlington over the past week.
Scott was asked at a media briefing Friday whether he had any public safety concerns about the protests.
“The protest that is happening in Burlington, again, thus far has been peaceful, so as long as it maintains that peaceful nature, no one will have to intervene,” he said.
Protestors have been holding daily demonstrations and marches in Burlington since police in Kenosha, Wisconsin shot a Black man in the back seven times last week.
Protestors are calling for the firing of three Burlington police officers named in civil suits that allege excessive use of force.
- Peter Hirschfeld
Vermont expected to see jump in COVID-19 cases come Fall
Vermont is expected to see a jump in COVID-19 cases due to public schools reopening next week.
That’s according to the latest modeling from the state, which indicates daily new case counts will nearly double by the end of September.
Commissioner of Financial Regulation Michael Pieciak oversees COVID-19 modeling for the Scott administration.
“Things that factor into this forecast include … the communities across Vermont being more mobile, parents being able to go back to work potentially, parents being able to run more errands and be more mobile because their children are back in school,” Pieciak said.
Despite the projected increase, Pieciak said Vermont is on track to retain its status as having the lowest per-capita infection rate in the United States.
And he said he doesn’t expect widespread community transmission as a result of students returning to school.
- Peter Hirschfeld
Progressive city councilor on protests, policing in Burlington
A Progressive City Councilor in Burlington says there may be a way forward to resolve demands from racial justice protesters.
Protesters have been holding daily demonstrations calling for the firing of three officers who've been involved in use-of-force incidents. City officials say firing the officers would violate the police union contract
Councilor Zoraya Hightower said there may be other options.
"There's firing, then there's asking to resign, and there's accepting resignations. There's issues on what severance looks like, there's issues on, is it all three of the officers, versus some of the officers?" Hightower said.
Hightower said a compromise might not satisfy both sides, but could create a solution. She and other Progressive councilors are calling for a meeting between council members, the mayor and protest leaders.
- Henry Epp
State officials urge Vermonters to comply with COVID-19 guidance over Labor Day
State officials urge Vermonters to keep coronavirus guidelines in mind as they head into Labor Day weekend.
Gov. Phil Scott said he wants people to celebrate the unofficial end of summer.
“But do so using common sense and following the health department guidance,” Scott said.
Scott said that means avoid large gatherings, wear a mask when you can’t socially distance, and hold social functions outside.
Scott said people should also avoid traveling to places with high COVID-19 case counts.
Regions of the U.S. saw spikes in COVID cases after Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July.
- Peter Hirschfeld
Two Southern Vermont newspapers to cease printing
The publisher of two southern Vermont newspapers says the company will stop printing Monday editions at the end of this month.
Frederic Rutberg announced this week that The Brattleboro Reformer and Bennington Banner will only be available online on Mondays.
In a letter Rutberg printed in each paper he said advertising revenue dropped by almost 50% at the start of the pandemic, and is still down by more than 30%, after six months .
Rutberg said the Monday online edition will be enhanced with video, audio and photo galleries, and subscription costs will remain the same.
- Howard Weiss-Tisman
Annual sock sale has been called off
Sock-maker Darn Tough Vermont has announced that its annual sock sale in Northfield, a mainstay event of late fall, has been called off.
The event usually attracts long lines of people who line up to buy discount wool socks.
Company spokesperson Brooke Kaplan said the logistics of holding the sale didn't make sense during the pandemic.
"It draws thousands of people in, and it just wasn't a safe idea to do so. So we are taking a hiatus and we hope to be back, but for now, yes, unfortunately, we are not going to be holding the sock sale in November," Kaplan said.
She said this is the first time the annual event has been canceled since it started in 1979.
On the positive side, Darn Tough has not had to cut any more jobs in the last few months, according to Kaplan.
The company, which has operations in Northfield and Waterbury, laid off about 50 employees in June, after shutting down its manufacturing operations for several weeks at the start of the pandemic.
Kaplan said the company is slowly starting to add jobs again.
“We do have some jobs posted, which are posted through our website, and they're specific to various departments that need additional resources based on some priorities that we've identified as we look ahead,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan said the company employees about 280 people. She said Darn Tough has seen fairly steady demand for its socks throughout the last few months, with stronger online sales compared to brick-and-mortar stores.
- Henry Epp
Report examines overdose deaths, how to stop them
A new report from the department of health analyzes information from the 109 deadly overdoses that occurred in Vermont in 2017.
The object of the report is to figure out ways that state interventions can work to save more lives.
Deputy Health Commissioner Kelly Dougherty said the report includes information on demographics, interactions with state agencies and what specific substances were involved in the deaths.
“93% of the overdoses in 2017 had opioid involvement,” she said. “Typically, there was a combination of drugs, most commonly fentanyl with heroin, or fentanyl with cocaine.”
More people appear to be dying from overdoses this year than the previous year.
Through June, Vermont has averaged 12 overdoses per month, while last year there were just over 9 per month, according to Dougherty.
Dougherty thinks numbers may be higher due to COVID-19, partially due to isolation caused by the pandemic, but also due to how it affects how people obtain drugs.
“We also think that people may have had a disruption in their normal supply chains. Maybe they were getting product from a source that was unknown to them, so may have been more deadly,” Dougherty said.
Vermont launched the website vthelplink.org in March. It's a resource to help people get connected to substance use treatment and recovery services.
- Sam Gale Rosen
Racial justice advocate resigns from Burlington Police Commission
A member of the Burlington Police Commission resigned on Thursday to protest the city's refusal to fire police officers involved in violent incidents.
Seven Days reports that racial justice advocate Mark Hughes announced his resignation at a rally in front of Burlington's City Hall. Protesters have been gathering since Aug. 25, demanding that the city fire three police officers accused of using excessive force.
Mayor Miro Weinberger says the city can't fire the officers because their cases have already been adjudicated. On Thursday, Hughes disagreed, saying the city is "not taking action because they are unwilling to accept the cost of doing so."
- Sam Gale Rosen
Public school enrollment is up in some Vermont districts
One of the changes some Vermont schools will notice next week – besides adaptations for the coronavirus pandemic is more kids.
Bloomberg News reported this week that Vermont leads the nation in the percentage of people moving into the state compared to those moving out.
Jennifer Iannantuoni a member of Killington’s school board, said their elementary school is welcoming 15 new families – boosting enrollment by 20%. She called it a welcome bump and says their hybrid teaching plan can accommodate it.
Kirk Knutson, Admissions Director at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester said the high school has been swamped with new applications.
“We are up almost 40 students just in the ninth grade,” Knutson said.
Tenth through twelfth grades have added 46 new students.
“Unfortunately, our international population went from around 60 kids down to three,” she said.
Burr and Burton will be using a hybrid model this year and Knutson says many of their international students will continue to take classes online.
- Nina Keck
Act 250 revision delayed again
A three-year effort to rewrite Act 250, the state's landmark development review law, has been delayed again.
The Senate Natural Resources Committee Friday gutted many parts of the legislation that passed the House earlier this year. The committee removed provisions on climate change, and erased language that exempted developments in downtowns from Act 250 review.
Committee chair Chris Bray said the bill is complex, and there just isn't enough time left in this shortened legislative session.
“This is not that we’re opposed to other thing, but I don’t think we’re in the right place and time,” Bray said.
The bill now deals only with forest and trails issues. It says the Agency of Natural Resources must come up with a plan by next year to manage the growing network of recreation trails in the state.
- John Dillon
Small plane crashes at Morrisville-Stowe airport
A small plane crashed Thursday at the Morrisville-Stowe State Airport, according to local police.
The accident happened while the aircraft was performing landing maneuvers, WCAX reports. Two people were injured in the accident and flown by helicopter to the UVM Medical Center.
Morristown police say their identities are being withheld pending notification of their families. Federal aviation officials are investigating the cause of the crash.
- Sam Gale Rosen
New survey shows Vermont schools face staffing shortages
Vermont's Teachers Union says it's very concerned that a number of schools in the state are not prepared to safely re-open next week.
The Vermont NEA conducted a survey of local schools and said it found that only 55% have a full-time nurse, 45% have ample supplies of soap and sanitizers, and just 29% have a sufficient number of substitute teachers.
Darren Allen is the communications director for the Union.
He said the state's overall grade for COVID pandemic school preparedness is just a D+.
"We're not messing around here. this is serious and I have to tell you, that let's just hope this is not a grand experiment on 80,000 students and their families,” Allen said.
Allen called on the Scott Administration and the Legislature to implement statewide policies to ensure that it's safe for students in all school districts to return to class next week.
Vermont public health officials continue to advise that it is safe to restart schools.
- Bob Kinzel
Lawmakers ponder pandemic space for next legislative session
Lawmakers have met and voted remotely since the spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the Statehouse building in Montpelier. But they're now looking at how they can get together in person when the next session opens in January.
Jesse Beck, an architect hired to studied various options, told lawmakers there aren't many spaces available in central Vermont that could accommodate 180 people during the pandemic.
"When evaluating this, we started out with the Statehouse and started drawing our capacity circles into the various rooms," Beck said. "And very quickly, we understood that there's no way there could be a full return to the Statehouse."
Beck's report indicated there was just one space nearby that could work to accomodate a joint assembly of the Vermont Senate and House.
“The only option that we could really find close in central Vermont available to us was the Barre Auditorium,” Beck said.
The auditorium usually hosts high school basketball tournaments and other public events, such as an annual gun show. Beck's report estimates that it would cost about $217,000 to retrofit the building for the four-month legislative session.
- John Dillon
Teachers union calls for statewide school reopening policies
Vermont's teachers union says a number of schools in the state are not prepared to reopen next week. The group wants lawmakers to create concrete statewide policies to protect students and school staff from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Vermont NEA has just released a report card evaluating the safety steps taken by local schools.
Spokesperson Darren Allen said that while some schools are in good shape, the overall grade for the state is very disappointing.
"With an overall grade of D+, it is clear that health and safety standards are inconsistent," Allen said. "And that is unacceptable, since regardless of where in Vermont you live or go to school, safety is not, cannot and will not be negotiable."
The Vermont-NEA is urging the state and lawmakers to quickly adopt statewide policies to ensure that it's safe for all students and staff to return to school.
Vermont public health officials continue to advise that it is safe to restart schools.
- Bob Kinzel
Quebec's Premier floats possibility of second lockdown
Quebec's Premier Francois Legault floated the possibility of second lockdown if residents don't follow health guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19.
That's as case numbers have begun to tick up in the province.
CBC Reporter Ben Shingler told VPR Legault issed a warning to citizens.
"As students go back to school, he wanted to make sure people 'stay vigilant,' was the term he used, and not let our guard down, and not associate too much with people and maintain social distancing and wear masks and all those things," he said.
Quebec reported 187 new cases of the virus on Thursday. Since the start of the pandemic, nearly 63,000 people have contracted the disease and over 5,700 people have died in the province, according to the CBC.
Listen to the full conversation.
- Henry Epp
Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message or get in touch with tweet us @vprnet.
We've closed our comments. Read about ways to get in touch here.
