Killington Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth announced new Covid-19 protocols for town facilities on Dec. 29. “Effective immediately, the town is imposing the following procedures to protect against exposure to Covid-19,” he wrote in a memo to all departments. If you have Covid symptoms (fever, cough and difficulty breathing): • Do not come to work…

Additional recommendations added   On Dec. 30, the state of Vermont has adopted the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for Covid-19 isolation and quarantine, while adding an additional layer of protection. In addition to the CDC guidance, the Dept. of Health guidelines allow Vermonters to end isolation on the fifth day if…

Operation ‘Kits for Kids’ to make 87,000 kits available for K-12 students Governor Phil Scott announced Dec. 29 that parents and caregivers of Vermont’s K-12 children will be able to pick up one free rapid antigen test kit per student this week at sites around Vermont. The state is encouraging parents to use these kits…

By Curt Peterson Dr. Josh White, chief medical officer at Gifford Medical Center, told the Mountain Times costs attributable to Covid total “well into millions.” The financial expense of the virus is important, but isn’t the only significant toll on providers. Located in Randolph, Gifford is part of a network of six healthcare facilities throughout…

By Liora Engel-Smith/VTDigger As Vermont braces for the Omicron variant of Covid-19, influenza appears to be making a comeback. Roughly 1 in 10 people tested for respiratory symptoms in Vermont had the flu in mid-December up from about 3 in 100 people the first week of the month, according to the Vermont Dept. of Health.…

Staff report Vermonters across the state have waited in long lines to pick up take-home Covid tests ahead of holiday get-togethers — only to be told, in many cases, that the tests were all gone. State officials had announced on Tuesday, Dec. 21, that tens of thousands of test kits would be available at 16…

"In order to ensure that we can keep doing what we do into the New Year, we need to slow down the spread of Covid-19. With cases surging again in the Northeast, we are reinstating our indoor mask mandate," Killington Resort announced Dec. 26. "As of Dec. 27, 2021, masks will be required for everyone…

By Curt Peterson The Killington Select Board discussed a possible local mask mandate at their Dec. 14 meeting, but failed to make a decision either way; Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth is to gather information about mandate terminology, enactment process and enforcement for the Jan. 4 meeting. Governor Phil Scott signed legislation Nov. 22 empowering Vermont…

Officials say boosters necessary The Vermont Dept. of Health announced Saturday, Dec. 18, that it confirmed the state’s first case of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus. Genetic sequencing identified the new variant in a specimen collected on Dec. 8. The individual is a Lamoille County resident in their 30s. The individual was fully…

By Ethan Weinstein “We’re about to face another challenge,” Governor Scott said Tuesday, preparing Vermonters for the coming dual threat of Omicron and the expected post-Christmas surge. This week, the state detected the first case of the Omicron variant in Lamoille County. As the latest data suggests a booster vaccine dose provides far more protection…

Last Thursday, Dec. 9, Rutland Regional Medical Center began restricting visitors in order to protect patients from rising Covid cases in the community. Adult inpatients will not be allowed to have visitors; a few patients, such as mothers in labor, will be allowed one designated essential support person per patient for the duration of the…

By Ethan Weinstein With cases rising country-wide, Governor Phil Scott and his administration focused their weekly Covid press conference on encouraging Vermonters to get their booster shots and faulting the unvaccinated for the state’s current surge. “It’s become clear that this isn’t going away anytime soon,” Scott said. “If you’re still unvaccinated, I want to…

By Nicholas Boke Editor's note: Nicholas Boke is a freelance writer and international education consultant who lives in Chester. In late December, Rutland Board of Aldermen member Matt Whitcomb asked the big question as he and his colleagues puzzled over the possibility of enacting mask mandates. Rutland Herald reporter Gordon Dritschilo explained in a Nov.…

By Ethan Weinstein Despite Gov. Phil Scott signing a legislation on Nov. 23 allowing cities and towns to create their own mask mandates, few municipalities seem keen to use the new power. The town of Rutland is one exception. On Nov. 24, the Rutland Town Select Board, which also serves as the board of health,…

By Ethan Weinstein As the public waits anxiously to learn more about the Omicron variant, Vermont is currently experiencing its highest number of Covid hospitalizations and Covid patients in ICU beds. “There’s still a lot we don’t know and it could be a couple of weeks before we get more information. Until then, we’re not…