The Vermont Department of Health will now be providing updates at 11 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. each day.
The update is available at: vcgi.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/6128a0bc9ae14e98a686b635001ef7a7
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By MIKE DONOGHUE, Islander Staff Reporter Grand Isle county has its first confirmed COVID-19 virus case. The Vermont Health Department daily report noted the case but provided no details. Grand Isle and Essex counties had been the only two areas in the state without any reported cases. However, that all changed when the Health Department reported the positive test in Grand Isle. Information about the person and hometown is not provided in the daily updates. Gov. Phil Scott has a "stay home, stay safe" directive in place. He and Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont Health Commissioner, said Monday that they believe things are going to get worse over the next week or two before they believe the COVID-19 virus will diminish in the state. The Islander will provide more details as they become available. By MIKE DONOGHUE Islander Staff Reporter MONTPELIER -- Gov. Phil Scott said Friday that he expects to extend his Executive Orders on COVID-19, including “Stay Home, Stay Safe” instead of allowing them to expire on the initial dates later this month. He told reporters at his daily news conference that the extensions of the orders would be the necessary to try to keep the deadly virus from spreading throughout the state. “This will be long term,” Scott told reporters. “We are going to have to monitor for a long time.” Scott made the statement when asked by The Islander to identity 3-4 other steps he has in his future game plan to use for those not complying. Scott did not identify any new demands that would be made on Vermonters. He said the state is still trying to seek voluntary compliance with the current orders. The state is trying to educate the public that are not following the orders. Vermont State Police, sheriff’s departments and municipal police have been asked to use criminal arrests as a last resort when businesses and others do not comply with the Executive Orders. Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan said his office is willing to try to ensure everybody comes into compliance. Scott’s disclosure that he plans to extend his Executive Orders is likely to impact countless seasonal companies throughout Vermont, especially scores of businesses in Grand Isle County. Among them is The Apple Island RV Resort on U.S. 2 in South Hero, which sent a note this week to campers that it plans to open May 1. The golf course hopes to open May 5 and the marina and general store on May 15, the note said. All those dates appear to be in serious jeopardy after the comments by Gov. Scott on Friday. “We are waiting to hear additional information,” said Becky Soukup, the new guest service manager at Apple Island. “We may have to delay it.” She said Apple Island has several seasonal employees that are coming from out-of-state to work on the resort on Lake Champlain. Zac Mattey, regional vice president for Apple Island, said about 150 of the 300 spots at the resort are actually the seasonal homes for Vermonters who spend six months out-of-state. He said those Vermont home owners have no other place to go and he does not expect a problem with them. Gov. Scott did say earlier this week that Vermonters returning from out-of-state will be expected to go to their homes directly without stopping and to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine. Mattey said that information is being shared with the Vermonters that own permanent homes in the campground. The other 150 slots at Apple Island are designed for towed trailers and for large motor campers. No reservations are being taken for those spots at this time in order to comply with the Governor’s order, he said. Like hotels and lodges, Apple Island is prohibited from doing business except in a few rare exceptions under the orders. “We have no financial motivation in this situation,” Mattey said. He said the real issue is about the health of the people and not the resort. Mattey said he does have fears for other Grand Isle County businesses that depend on the summer tourist business for their success. The notice from Apple Island to campers and customers was posted on Facebook and drew the wrath of some people. They questioned why the park would open up when people are being told to stay in place. Mattey said he hopes in his next order that Gov. Scott will better address the issue of seasonal homes not just for Apple Island, but for other Vermont businesses. He said anybody planning to head to Apple Island has been urged to call ahead to get the latest news about state orders. Scott’s Executive Order, among other things, requires golf courses, marinas, ski resorts, mountain biking establishments and other similar businesses and retails operations to support them not to be operating. The order also says, “Recreational Vehicle Parks and Campgrounds should only operate in accordance with guidance issued for lodging establishments,” which have been virtually shut down except for a few exceptions. Other news Grand Isle and Essex Counties continue to be the only areas in Vermont without a confirmed COVID-19 case. The Vermont Health Department reported Friday 389 COVID-19 cases are confirmed in Vermont – an increase of 51. Vermont has seen 17 deaths to people that tested positive for the virus, the health department said. There have been 5,228 tests as of Friday, compared to 4,711 on Thursday. The Champlain Islands Health Center in South Hero reported two more tests were administered on Friday at its new site. That means 13 over the three afternoons the test center was open this week in South Hero. The site is only for people that have been pre-approved through their primary care provider and the Health Department, Kate Reed, interim chief executive officer for the health center has stressed. People that drive up to the 10-foot-by-20-foot tent without clearance are turned away. By MIKE DONOGHUE Islander Staff Reporter MONTPELIER -- The projected peak of COVID-19 cases in Vermont is expected to hit between mid-to-late April and early May based on current study models, state officials said at a news conference Thursday. The projection is not cast in concrete and could change, but it is the best estimate based on current conditions. Officials emphasized the sacrifices Vermonters are making now by staying at home are working. They said the upcoming weeks will be critical to saving lives. Gov. Phil Scott also announced today additional medical surge locations, including one at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex, are being prepared in conjunction with the Vermont National Guard. The new sites are designed to prepare for an expected surge of COVID-19 patients and the need for additional hospital and medical capacity. The surge site at the Essex fairgrounds will provide 400 beds staffed primarily by National Guard personnel. The COVID-19 patients will continue to be treated at the hospitals. The patients at the new sites will be for other medical issues so the hospital can focus on COVID-19. A second surge site in Rutland County with 150 beds will be supported by the Rutland Regional Medical Center. The announcement Thursday came as Vermont saw the number of positive tests rise to 338 – an increase of 17 from the day before. There was now 17 deaths, which is up one from Wednesday and 5 up since Monday. Vermont has conducted 4,711 tests, an increase in one day from 4,495, the state said. The number of people being monitored dropped slightly from 153 to 127. There are still no reported cases in Grand Isle and Essex Counties, but both had their second day of tests available at the local health center. Four more people were tested at the Champlain Islands Health Center in South Hero. Seven had tests on Wednesday afternoon, the first day of testing in Grand Isle County. Gov. Scott continues to ask Vermonters to stay home as much as possible to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. Only essential personnel is given an exception. Those include workers at grocery stories, hardware stores, news media, restaurants that are offering takeout or delivery only. Vermonters should leave home only for essentials, such as food. They are asked to keep at least 6 feet away from other persons By MIKE DONOGHUE Islander Staff Writer The State of Vermont has begun tracking out-of-state motorists entering the state and is warning them about the 14-day self-quarantine directive issued by Gov. Phil Scott. Scott said it is a data-collection effort and that depending on the findings the state may take action. He said the state has heard tales about out-of-staters coming to Vermont, but officials need to get a baseline. “We will react accordingly depending on what we see,” Scott said in response to a question from The Islander during his daily press conference. Scott explained that no registration plates are being recorded, only the states of the vehicles arriving and how many people “We are looking at the colors of the plates to determine who is coming in,” Scott said. He also noted Vermont continues to need goods and services as people are being directed to “Stay Home, Stay Safe” under one of his Executive Orders. Earlier Agency of Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn of South Hero told The Islander no enforcement effort was planned for the time being. He said the traffic monitoring idea was generated as part of the State Emergency Operations Center, a unified command center in place in Vermont to try to deal with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. AOT employees were monitoring traffic Wednesday at 3 sites in Grand Isle County. They were: the Lake Champlain ferry crossing in Grand Isle and at the bridge connecting with the state of New York in Alburgh. A third AOT employee was parked near the international border in Alburgh. The AOT vehicles had signs indicating the purpose of the driver inside. “I am an employee of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and I am counting vehicles at this crossing,” a sign on AOT stationery said in part. A large AOT roadside flashing sign tells drivers arriving in Vermont they need to self-isolate for 14 days if they are staying in the state. Flynn said 29 travel routes into Vermont along the borders with Canada, New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire were being monitored by AOT. He said on Wednesday morning he expected that number to increase – possibly doubling – over the next 36 hours. The monitoring is being done at high traffic sites, including one at the exit to the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington. The monitoring, which is until further notice, is 24-hours around the clock at each site, Flynn said. By Mike Donoghue Islander Staff Reporter SOUTH HERO – The Champlain Islands Health Center in South Hero conducted seven tests for the detection of the deadly COVID-19 virus on Wednesday – the first day of monitoring by the state at the site. The tests were given only to patients that had been pre-approved by the Vermont Health Department after getting a referral from their Primary Care Provider, according to Kim Anderson, public information officer for the health center. The health center announced on Tuesday it planned to begin testing as a way to help determine if COVID 19 had reached Grand Isle County. Grand Isle and Essex Counties, the two extreme counties in western and eastern Vermont have no confirmed reports, the health department has said. The announcement of the South Hero test site brought some critical comments on social media and even to The Islander through phone calls, emails and text messages. Some people questioned why set up a test site in South Hero when Grand Isle County has no confirmed cases. Others suggested the Sand Bar State Park in nearby Milton as a better site so patients would not have to cross the causeway to enter the county. The South Hero site is one of two new testing operations established by the state to broaden access. The other is at the Island Pond Health Center in Essex County. Expanded testing means the Health Department will have more results to report – including in the number of new cases. So Vermonters should expect a potential jump in numbers in the coming days. The increased testing also will allow for more people to know the care they need and what precautions to take, the Health Department said. During Gov. Phil Scott’s daily press conference on Wednesday, Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine explained the state is trying to get a clearer picture of the spread of the COVID-19 virus within Vermont. There have been 321 confirmed cases in Vermont, up 28 cases from Tuesday. Also 3 more COVID-19 deaths were reported bringing the total to 28 statewide in three weeks, . “Wouldn’t it be strange that there are no cases in Grand Isle County but everywhere around it there are?” Dr. Levine said in response to a question from The Islander. “Maybe it’s because people in Grand Isle County haven’t had access to a facility to do testing,” he said. Without adequate testing the local residents don’t know if they do or don’t have the virus, Dr. Levine said. He said the South Hero site will allow better access. The commissioner said it is not just a pop-up site like the one opened over the weekend at Landmark College in Putney. South Hero is part of federally qualified health center that already exists and there are special hours for testing, Dr. Levine said. The doctor said there is no expectation of a large influx of new people coming to the site. Many are likely are patients from Grand Isle County and are connected to the health center. Dr. Levine said that is part of the logic behind how the Health Department has strategically tried to develop test sites where they are needed to provide access to testing for the residents of Vermont. Anderson said everything went smoothly on the first day. The test kits arrived shortly before noon when the site opened. She did say they may try to order heaters for the 10-foot-by-20-foot white tent erected on the back side of the health center. It got a little chilly during the afternoon for the 4 or 5 workers, including a greeter, the lead provider and a nurse or medical assistant, Anderson said. The tent is not a drive-in or drive-thru. It is designed to hold computers, test kits, equipment, tables and chairs for the staff and related items. People are not allowed to just drive up and ask for tests, both Anderson and Kate Reed, interim chief executive officer for the health center, stressed. The health center will be offering the tests from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Anderson said there is no way to tell how many tests will be conducted each day. Once somebody has gone through all the proper clearances, he or she is able to come to the site, Anderson said. There will be no direct contact between the patient and the staff. Patients drive up next to the white tent. The patient must produce proof of identity -- often displaying a driver’s license -- through a window. The name is cross-checked on the list of approved people. Once confirmed, they will be asked to pull ahead and receive the kit for the test. The health center can be reached by calling (802) 372-4687. By MICHAEL DONOGHUE Islander Staff Writer The State of Vermont has begun tracking out-of-state motorists entering the state and is warning them about the 14-day self-quarantine directive issued by Gov. Phil Scott. Agency of Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn of South Hero told The Islander this morning that it is not an enforcement effort, but rather a fact-finding mission. He said the idea was generated as part of the State Emergency Operations Center, a unified command center that is in place in Vermont to try to deal with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. AOT employees were monitoring traffic this morning at three sites in Grand Isle County: They are: the Lake Champlain ferry crossing in Grand Isle, and at the bridge connecting with the state of New York in Alburgh. A third AOT employee was parked near the international border in Alburgh. The vehicles had signs indicating the purpose of the driver inside. “I am an employee of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and I am counting vehicles at this crossing,” a sign on AOT stationery says in part. The AOT employees were charting the travelers by state. A large AOT roadside flashing sign tells drivers arriving in Vermont they need to self-isolate for 14 days if they are staying in the state. Flynn said 29 travel routes into Vermont along the borders with Canada, New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire were being monitored by AOT as of today. He said he expected that number to increasing over the next 36 hours – possibly doubling. The monitoring is being done at high traffic sites, including one at the exit to the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington. The monitoring, which is until further notice, is 24-hours around the clock at each site, Flynn said. Gov. Scott is scheduled to have a news conference this morning. The Islander will update this story later today. MONTPELIER – Gov. Phil Scott is calling all Vermonters into volunteer service to assist in supporting the state’s response to COVID-19. The state has launched a new website: https://vermont.gov/volunteer to help Vermonters sign up for the program. Medical volunteers, blood donations, support for local food banks and more are needed as the state ramps up its response in anticipation of the expected surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, the Governor said. The website directs those with medical and healthcare skills to the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC), and those with other needed skills to a quick registration process to sign up to help. “I am asking every Vermonter to dig deep and find a way to give more in this incredibly challenging time,” Gov. Scott said. “As we prepare for a surge in COVID-19 cases expected in the coming weeks, it will require each and every one of us to do our part to ease the burden on our health care system, the struggles of those less fortunate, and, ultimately, to save the lives of our friends and neighbors,” Scott said. Medical Reserve Corp Volunteers Needed to Bolster Existing Health Care Workers Those with medical experience or other health care background and the ability to volunteer are needed to bolster the ranks of Vermont’s current health care workforce. The state’s volunteer website directs these individuals to Vermont’s MRC units, community-based groups of volunteers who can supplement local emergency, health care provider staff and public health resources. This is needed because Vermont’s existing health care workers are going above and beyond to respond to this challenge as it unfolds, and they are going to need reinforcements. “In every health care facility in Vermont, staff have been working extraordinary hours, performing herculean tasks under great pressure and with limited resources,” Dr. Mark Levine, Vermont’s health commissioner, said. “Knowing we have qualified volunteers ready to serve will help our current health care workers and strengthen Vermont’s response. We are all in this together,” the commissioner said. The Vermont Medical Reserve Corps is seeking these qualified and experienced volunteers:
Vermont has eased licensing requirements for the purposes of aiding this emergency response. Individuals who are licensed in other states or who were previously licensed should visit the Health Department website and review the guide on emergency licensure. Other Volunteer Workers and Donations Also Needed to Strengthen Vermont’s Response Other individuals who do not have medical or healthcare backgrounds but are willing to volunteer their time in Vermont’s response effort can register through the state’s volunteer web portal and indicate their expertise and availability. The State expects to draw upon many skills to meet the challenge of serving those affected by COVID-19, potentially including drivers, food service, construction, IT, security, skilled trades and more. In addition to volunteering their time, Vermonters can also contribute to blood banks, food banks, and other emergency supply efforts. The American Red Cross of Northern New England faces a severe blood shortage and many local food banks and other community organizations are in need of support and donations of supplies. In addition to volunteering, Vermonters can also give back in the following ways:
Gov. Scott is calling on all Vermonters to support these critical needs. “Our state is at its best when Vermonters pull together to help each other. The coming weeks will be very difficult, but united in common purpose, we will face, fight and defeat this virus – and emerge stronger together,” he said. -30- By Mike Donoghue, Islander Staff Reporter SOUTH HERO – The Champlain Islands Health Center in South Hero will begin offering tests for the detection of the COVID-19 virus starting Wednesday afternoon. The tests are administered only after a patient has received authorization in advance from his or her Primary Care Provider, Kate Reed, interim chief executive officer for the health center, told The Islander this afternoon. People are not allowed to just drive up and ask for tests, Reed explained. “Nobody can just visit. Don’t show up,” she said. The health center has to follow the directives of the State Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control, she said. “Only after a referral can we do the tests,” she said. The Primary Care Provider after conferring with the patient, must get authorization from a clearing house. It is only then that the patient will be notified they are cleared for the test. The Health Center has personal protection equipment for the staff, Reed said. A 10-foot-by-20-foot white tent has been erected on the back side of the health center off U.S. 2 to help with the testing. The tent is not a drive-thru, but to hold equipment, computers, test kits, tables and chairs for the staff and related items. The Champlain Islands Health Center was identified as a key spot to help increase the number of tests being administered, Reed said. She said Vermont, and the Champlain Islands, have seen a low rate of testing. She said some people may not have wanted to drive into Burlington for testing. So the state is studying adding test sites. Reed said the health center staff was working Tuesday on the specific duties employees will do during the testing period. The plan is to offer testing noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning Wednesday, Reed said. Hours could be expanded as needed, she said. There will be no direct contact between the patient and the staff, Reed said. Patients arriving at the health center will drive up next to the white tent. The patient will have to provide proof of identity, most likely by displaying a driver’s license through a window. The name will be cross-checked on the list of people approved for tests. Once confirmed, they will be asked to pull ahead. They will be provided a kit for the test. The health center had shut down normal operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 20. While there have been no confirmed cases in Grand Isle County as of Tuesday, the health center is continuing to offer informational services by phone to patients in the Grand Isle County region. A nurse and an administrator are remaining on duty in South Hero, but people are being urged to call the office ahead and not just come in unannounced. The health center can be reached by calling (802) 372-4687. The health center has been operating in the Champlain Islands since about 2012. It moved from Grand Isle into new modern offices in November 2016. By MIKE DONOGHUE Islander Staff Writer MONTPELIER -- Grand Isle County remains one of two Vermont counties that state officials say does not have a single reported case of the COVID-19 virus. During a Monday news conference, Health Commissioner Mark Levine said to the best of his knowledge there were still no known cases in the two counties. The Islander had asked whether the lack of hospitals in both those counties might lead to a false belief of no cases, or that residents with the virus might show up in adjoining Chittenden and Franklin Counties, which have hospitals. That was later reinforced by Ben Truman, the public health communications officer for the Vermont Health Department. “I can confirm that as of last night we have zero positive cases identified as GI County residents,” Truman said in an email to The Islander. He said the Health Department does not know the county of residence for all the cases in Vermont. “As those are ID’d the map, etc., are updated,” he wrote. The Vermont Health Department website contains daily updates including statistics. They include a breakdown by counties of the number of confirmed cases. As of Monday, there were 133 in Chittenden County and 11 in Franklin County. The comments come as Gov. Phil Scott said he was asking out-of-staters arriving in the state and Vermonters returning from winter vacations to self-quarantine for 14 days to help protect the rest of the community. He said visitors and returning residents should not make any stops along the way, but head to their homes or destinations immediately. Once there they should stay inside for the most part. Scott is discouraging anybody to come to Vermont from a so-called COVID-19 “hotspot.” He is especially seeking compliance with the CDC’s Domestic Travel Advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which advised residents of those states to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days. Levine said as of Monday there were 256 confirmed cases in Vermont, an increase of 21 from the day before. The number of deaths remained at 12, including seven linked to the Burlington Health and Rehabilitation Center at 330 Pearl Street. Levine said he is concerned that two deaths have been linked to an Essex Junction apartment complex that serves residents age 55 and older. One was a resident and the other was the significant other of a person that was associated with the complex. Levine stressed Pinecrest at Essex, which is off Susie Wilson Road, it is not a nursing home, but rather more than 50 apartments designed for older people. The state said 3,930 tests have been undertaken. There are 219 patients still being monitored. Another 546 have completed monitoring. THE DRAWBRIDGE State Sen. Dick Mazza, D-Grand Isle/Colchester said last week that construction has been suspended on the new drawbridge between North Hero and Grand Isle on U.S. 2. Mazza, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, said various contractors and the state of Vermont are working together to try to ensure the protection for the work crews. The contractors agreed to halt work, he said. “They want to stop the virus,” Mazza said. The senator said some construction sites, including work on a culvert on Interstate 89 near Exit 18 will continue because it is a major safety factor. Mazza said other road projects will be suspended under Gov. Scott’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order. Mazza said maintenance work can continue to ensure that roads, and bridges remain safe for drivers. Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn of South Hero directed the orderly shutdown of all construction projects that are not critical to the public health, safety, or national security. The shutdown will last until at least April 15 and could be extended by the Governor. |
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