Read on Twitter
Dr. Bell asks Vermonters to make decisions about their personal lives through a wider lens of equity. She hopes people will think about those who are more vulnerable than we are when we consider participating in an activity that may increase risk and exacerbate inequities.
For example, she says holding an in-person holiday gathering where COVID spreads could risk the ability for schools to stay open, and schools are one place where inequities are able to be addressed.
And she asks Vermonters to get their flu shots as another way to think beyond ourselves and try to minimize risk. Vermonters broke records when it comes to voting, she points out. Couldn't we do the same with flu vaccinations?
Dan French, Education Secretary says schools are so far handling the pandemic well. As of earlier this week there were 11 cases in the last 7 days. And there's been a total of 39 cases in schools since schools opened in September. (These are cases, not necessarily transmission.)
Says he's not encouraging schools to take pre-emptive action by going to remote learning around the holidays. He says he doesn't think that's good for kids and learning, and the situation doesn't currently warrant it.
French says schools have been given a "tool kit" for travel guidelines that schools can offer to families. One key part is asking Vermonters not to travel for Thanksgiving.
I'll repeat that: the state is essentially asking Vermonters to please not travel, and really think hard about any gatherings at all this Thanksgiving.
And French says everyone should get a flu shot before Thanksgiving.
Basically, it's a full-court press today on how important it is to keep schools open, and what kind of sacrifices are going to be necessary to allow that to happen this winter.
Health Commissioner Dr. Levine now. 2326 cases total in Vermont. We still have not had a fatality since the end of July, "which is wonderful," Levine says.
Levine says the one-day highest total was 70, back in the spring. But just yesterday we had 35. And while other days haven't been that high, they're elevated from earlier in the summer an fall. He describes the higher daily case counts as "a new normal."
Dr. Levine describes the state testing numbers as "exuberant" and says higher case counts are not related to just doing more testing.
11 outbreaks the state is following now, including the one that centers around social activities related to hockey and broom ball teams. 116 cases total are attributed to that outbreak, including the 69 cases at St. Michael's College.
There are 42 "situations" the state is watching, which I think are separate from the 11 "outbreaks" Dr. Levine mentioned before.
Cases are scattered throughout the state, and have impacted workplaces, child cares, schools, and families. "The data and the trends of the past few weeks are sending a clear message, that we need to up our game to protect ourselves and our communities."
Dr. Levine says he's not prone to hyperbole, and says Vermonters know how calmly he operates, and he wants to say that as a way to preface what he's about to say next. He describes rising cases around the world and the country, and restrictions being imposed in these communities.
"We can't really control the nature of the virus and it's time for us to focus on the things we can control," says Dr. Levine. "As we enter the holiday season, we all have to make hard decisions about if and how to celebrate."
From Thanksgiving to New Years, "our plans, our choices, will have an impact on the lives and health of our communities and Vermont." Levine pleads with Vermonters not to travel and not to gather. To make sacrifices to prevent the spread of COVID. For ourselves and others.
Please do not have more than 10 people at any gathering, Levine says. And that goes not just for holidays, but for any kind of get-together.
Levine says Vermonters who do choose to gather should consider getting tested before and after.
(This stands out to me because he hasn't made a point of encouraging that before today. Often says testing is not prevention when that type of question comes up.)
(This stands out to me because he hasn't made a point of encouraging that before today. Often says testing is not prevention when that type of question comes up.)
I'm going to pause the tweeting for a moment just to ask: how are you all feeling right now? You doing okay? I will admit that even though I have already basically planned to not see my family at the holidays, it's still sad to have it set out so starkly in this way.
We're in question time now.
Nothing coming through in the Q&A that is super easy to summarize in tweet-form, but also nothing that sounds like a new guideline. I'll keep you posted!
Still about 20,000 Vermonters getting unemployment benefits. (Despite the official unemployment rate of 4.2%.) Also something worth keeping in mind as we all figure out how to make the holidays feel special--lots of families in need right now.
Question about whether or not people can play pool at a bar. (Yeah, not a question I expected either.)
The answer is yes, they can. But they have to be able to follow all the rules.
The answer is yes, they can. But they have to be able to follow all the rules.
Question from a UVM student about why there is a request from the Department of Health to have UVM students tested again, even if they were tested earlier this week.
I missed the start of Dr. Levine's answer because the audio feed we get from WCAX changed. I'll take this moment to note that there's a possibility that VPR will also cut out of this press briefing to go into special coverage related to the presidential election. 1/
If that happens, we'll stream the press briefing online (and I'll continue to monitor that), and we'll be sure to continue offering updates on anything important that comes out of the press briefing.
Gov. Scott says, in relation to a question about the UVMMC cyber attack that state systems endure the threat of a cyber attack every day. On the specific UVM issue, he says he thinks they've done a good idea and as far as he knows they've protected patient data.
. @PeteHirschfeld says WalMart is not going to apply for hazard pay benefits on employee's behalf and asks the governor for thoughts. The governor and staff advise Pete to reach out to DFR Commissioner Pieciak, who's been talking to retailers about this.
Pete also asks about people who are getting letters from the Dept. of Labor asking them to repay money that was paid out to them, apparently over and above what they were supposed to get.
Labor Commissioner Harrington says there are many reasons why someone could wind up getting overpaid. (Fraud, but more likely some change in eligibility or status.) And it's a federal requirement that someone who is overpaid needs to pay that money back to the federal government.
Pete asks if the state has any flexibility to waive the repayment requirement. Harrington says only if the $ came from the state unemployment trust fund and only if it was a clerical error, not if it was an eligibility issue or a problem w/ the info the person applying put in.
Gov. Scott says there may be more policy changes made around the travel requirements for people out of state (or maybe in terms of enforcement). He's going to wait until Tuesday to see what the next modeling report shows, but he anticipates cases continuing up.
. @AnneWallAllen asks the governor if he thinks the state should mail ballots to all voters in future elections given the record turnout. Scott says it's an interesting question. Immediately, he thinks there needs to be a mail-in ballot option considered for Town Meeting in March.
Anne asks the governor about non-pandemic elections, but he says we should see what happens in March first.
Anne asks how many UVM student and staff cases have been reported to the health department. Dr. Levine says he's aware of 6 cases, all in students.
Montpelier High School student journalist Annika Turcotte, listed on the official run of show as being with the Times Argus, asks the governor what he wants to say to teenagers. (ME: YAY!! I'm glad high school student journalists are joining these pressers!!)
Dr. Levine says the advice is the same for everyone: masks on faces, six-foot spaces, open places. But he says it's also important to remind teenagers that if they do get the virus they may be more likely to be asymptomatic so they need to be careful around grandparents etc.
Dr. Bell says teenagers are better at having hard conversations than adults, and thinks young people can drive the discussions about holiday gatherings and safety. They can model good behavior for their adults. (Me: Right on! We don't give kids and young adults enough credit!)
Annika also asks about mental health support for students if schools need to go remote. Both Dr. Bell and Dr. Levine say there will need to be supports in place, as they were for previous remote learning, to help students and families navigate changes.
Avery Powell (who sounds very much like Liam Elder Connors) asks about the rationale for having employers apply for hazard pay on employees' behalf, given reports that some employers aren't doing so. Scott says that's the way the legislature set it up.
A digression: I am eating some Orb Weaver cheese for lunch today (Frolic) that I got at a farm stand and it is really good. But it is also REALLY stinky. Like maybe I shouldn't have made the decision to eat this in an enclosed studio environment. I might need to call for help.
Give me a minute--I need to go get the rind out of here. (And get a breath of air.) I'll be right back.
I'm back. What did I miss?
AHS Secretary Mike Smith is speaking now, and he's saying the state expects to expand its surveillance testing in the next few weeks. This kind of testing already happens in numerous settings: prisons, colleges, sometimes in long term care settings. 1/
But he says the state will be announcing expanded surveillance testing next week. School staff might be part of it, but other populations are being considered as well.
And Dr. Levine breaks in to reiterate that the state IS now recommending testing for people 7 days after attending any Thanksgiving gatherings.
We ended @vprnet coverage of the press conference just a hair early today to make sure we could bring listeners the latest news right at 1pm, given all the changing information about the presidential election. You can go to http://vpr.org to hear the end of the presser!
