Vermont plans policy for Covid’s endemic phase

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger

Vermont’s seven-day Covid-19 average hit its lowest point since last fall, one of several indicators that the Omicron variant surge is trending down.

Health department Commissioner Mark Levine said the numbers “continue to reinforce the improving picture of Covid-19 here in Vermont.” 

Officials have cautioned that cases could be an unreliable indicator as at-home antigen tests most rely on self-reporting. But Levine said other data is trending downward, too.

Hospitalizations have been trending down too in the past few weeks and now deaths are also following suit.

Levine said the lowering numbers are part of the department’s plan to transition its treatment of Covid to look more like how they treat other respiratory viruses, as an “endemic” disease. 

“As we continue to watch these downward trajectories, we can see where we are headed, which is a time of less transmission and disease in our state,” he said.

Vermont and most other states are now looking at moving beyond the pandemic into an endemic stage. California was the first to announce its strategy, which includes mass testing, stockpiling masks, ventilators, over-the-counter tests and other resources necessary to respond to outbreaks, NBC reported.

Levine said the department is using major metrics beyond Covid case counts such as hospital usage and capacity, wastewater monitoring, projections, and the state’s vaccination rate to make decisions about the future. 

Looking at the “Herculean” effort to provide PCR testing to all Vermonters in the thousands each day, he said the state has pivoted to using at-home antigen tests as an alternative, which are “more convenient” and provide “quicker results.”

And as Covid transmission drops, Vermonters won’t need to get tested as often, such as before and after large gatherings, Levine said.

Health department recommendations too are now shifting from a “public health” mentality to a more “individualized” approach. Levine said that means Vermonters may need to be considerate to those at higher risk who may need to take extra precautions. 

“The person who wears a mask has their own good reasons to do so, and we need to respect their reasoning and be understanding,” he said. “Each of us will transition back to normal routines at a different pace. Try not to take on too much, too fast. Be open and flexible to the changes ahead as we look to the future with hope.”