Vermont reporters provide a roundup of top news takeaways about the coronavirus and more for Tuesday, March 16.Want VPR's daily news in podcast form? Get up to speed in under 15 minutes with The Frequency every weekday morning. How about an email newsletter? Add our daily email briefing to your morning routine.
The latest coronavirus data:
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1. Vermont Department of Health reports 53 new COVID-19 cases, one new death
Vermont passed 17,000 COVID-19 infections Tuesday, as the state recorded 53 new cases and one new death.
That brings the state's virus-related death toll to 215.
Only Windsor and Grand Isle Counties had no new cases. All others saw fewer than 10 cases, save Chittenden County, which had 15.
In total, 29 people are hospitalized statewide, including three people in intensive care.
Nearly 28% of adult Vermonters have gotten at least one vaccine dose so far.
- Matthew Smith
Missisquoi Valley middle, high schools go remote
A Swanton middle and high school has shifted to remote learning as the community faces a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The Missisquoi Valley Union Middle and High School alerted students and families on Friday of several people in its learning community infected with the coronavirus.
The health department classified the cases as an outbreak. School officials say community transmission "is growing significantly and is affecting both staff and students."
That led to Friday's decision for grades 7-12 to shift to remote learning. MVU officials say they're preparing to stay remote for up to 28 days.
Sports and other school activities are canceled. School officials say students could return to in-person learning sooner if the number of positive cases in the community slows over the next two weeks.
Franklin County has seen nearly 240 new COVID-19 cases in just the last weeks, the highest density of new cases outside Chittenden County.
- Matthew Smith
UVM students push back on suspensions for violations of COVID-19 rules
A petition signed by more than 3,600 students is among the backlash to the University of Vermont's crackdown on violations of its COVID rules. And now the school has promised to review student suspensions from the crackdown.
VTDigger obtained an email from UVM President Suresh Garimella and reports the university pledged to review "all recent cases of suspension."
After a spike in coronavirus cases in February, UVM announced stricter enforcement of its coronavirus safety guidelines, noting nearly all violations could result in suspension.
- Matthew Smith
3. University of Vermont announces in-person fall semester, considers in-person graduation
The University of Vermont says it plans to have students fully back on campus by the fall semester.
UVM President Suresh Garimella and Provost Patricia Prelock announced Monday plans for the fall term and for commencement this spring.
University officials say they're planning for "a full on-campus semester" by the fall. Every student will be encouraged to get vaccinated, and UVM’s administration says it doesn’t anticipate any pre-arrival testing.
The school pledged to observe Vermont's quarantine and travel guidance in place by the start of the fall term, but they expect that guidance to change "significantly" in the coming months.
For commencement this term, Vermont's current restrictions could limit the event to graduates only, but the university leaders say "conversations are underway" with public health officials.
- Matthew Smith
4. New report shows Vermont's unemployment rate for 2020 was the highest since the Great Recession
Vermont's unemployment rate fell to 3.2% in January, down 0.3% from December.
The level of unemployment has dropped significantly since its height last April when it peaked at close to 15%, according to the Department of Labor.
The rate of unemployment for all of 2020 was the highest since 2011, when the state was struggling through the aftermath of the Great Recession.
The labor force in Vermont dropped by 1,500 people in January. There were over 30,000 fewer employed Vermonters in the labor force in January compared to January of 2020.
- Henry Epp
5. Sen. Sanders to hold hearing about income inequality nationwide Wednesday
Sen. Bernie Sanders will hold a hearing on Wednesday to address the growing incidence of income inequality in this country.
Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Budget committee, says studies indicate that this problem has gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If you had asked me about the major economic crisis facing our country today, it's that half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck and millions of people are working for starvation wages,” Sanders said. “They can't afford rent, they can't afford health care they can't afford the basic necessities of life.”
Sanders says he invited Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the richest person in the world, to attend the hearing but was rebuffed.
- Bob Kinzel
6. State warns ice anglers to be mindful of thinning ice
Ice on lakes around Vermont is deteriorating quickly with the recent warm weather, and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department warned anyone going out onto the ice to use extreme caution and take all recommended precautions.
Vermont’s chief game warden, Colonel Jason Batchelder, sent a written statement Monday noting that, while some of the best ice fishing of the season can come during mid-to-late March, the ice is going fast.
Batchelder said anglers should pay special attention near inlets, outlets and on reservoirs where water may be drawn down.
Ice fishing shanties must be removed from the ice before it becomes unsafe or unable to support the structure out of the water, or before the last Sunday in March, whichever comes first.
- Matthew Smith
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