Tests of Burlington wastewater point to virus strain known as the “UK variant” Burlington’s testing of wastewater has detected the presence of two Covid-19 virus mutations that are associated with the B.1.1.7 variant, first detected in the United Kingdom. Detection of these two mutations is a strong indicator that the B.1.1.7 variant is present in…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger School and youth leagues will be able to resume competitions Feb. 12, state officials said at a press conference Friday, Feb. 5. The games will have some restrictions, such as limiting the teams to two games a week and forcing competitions to be spaced three days apart, said Julie Moore, head of the…

On the eve of Super Bowl weekend, the Rutland Regional Medical Center COVID-19 Task Force is asking community members to refrain from going to or hosting Super Bowl parties. The Task Force which is made up of physician leaders, infection prevention specialists, and nurse leaders, is concerned that Super Bowl parties could further add to…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger Vermont is now getting 22% more vaccine doses per week from the federal government than its previous allocation just weeks ago, Gov. Phil Scott announced Tuesday, Feb. 2. Scott learned in a call with other governors that morning that doses would increase another 5%, on top of an 8% increase announced last week…

Rutland Regional Medical Center has restricted visitor access to its Inpatient Medical Oncology Unit (MOU)* after a fifth staff member on the unit tested positive for COVID-19. The hospital has been working closely with the Vermont Department of Health to conduct contact tracing and has expanded testing for any staff or patients who may have…

Registration opened Monday, Jan. 25, for Vermonters age 75 and older to get a Covid-19 vaccination. By the end of the day Monday, 21,100 had been scheduled for vaccination. Appointments can be made online at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. Eligible Vermonters will be asked to create an account on the website, then log in to make their appointment. A…

By Erin Petenko/VTDigger The nation has experienced its first sustained decline in Covid since July, an early sign that the virus has hit its peak in the U.S., Vermont officials said at a press conference Tuesday, Jan. 19. The trend is not regional, either. In fact, 41 states experienced case declines over the past week,…

The first round of shots for Vermonters age 75+ begin Monday, Jan. 25 Staff report State officials announced that registration for the Covid-19 vaccine for people who are 75 years and older will begin on Jan. 25. There are estimated to be about 49,000 Vermonters in that age group category. “Now that Vermonters know more about…

By Emma Cotton and Katie Jickling/VTDigger Ski patrols count as health care workers. The state is currently distributing the Covid-19 vaccine to “health care workers likely to be exposed/treat Covid-19 patients” and “long-term care facility residents and staff who have patient contact,” as part of group 1a, according to state guidelines. But who qualifies under that definition has evolved,…

By Polly Mikula As the contagious effect that the Christmas and New Year's holidays have had on the spread of Covid-19 in Vermont becomes better known, the state's prognosis for the coming month worsens. Just last week the plateau in cases was predicted to max out at around 200 cases per day — now it's…

State officials urge all Vermonters who recently gathered with others or traveled to get tested By Polly Mikula Governor Phil Scott and State Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine encouraged Vermonters to go get a Covid-19 test, at the regular press conference Tuesday, Jan. 5. The governor had temporarily permitted households to gather with one trusted…

By Katy Savage After a month of uncertainty, winter sports clubs and youth programs can now resume. Gov. Phil Scott relaxed restrictions on club programs at his press conference on Dec. 22, giving the green light for practices, conditioning sessions and contact-less drills to begin starting Dec. 26 for school-based and recreational youth sports. Scott…

Remote learning week already planned Jan. 4-8 By Lee J. Kahrs The first cases of Covid-19 have been reported in two Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union (RNeSU) schools. RNeSU Superintendent Jeanne Collins, herself recovering from the coronavirus, confirmed the first cases on Dec. 18 and Dec. 23 sent out an email and a Facebook post to…

It also revealed the crucial role of government, not just in crises, new report shows The recession created by the Covid-19 pandemic, beginning in February 2020, ended the longest economic recovery on record. The highest-income Vermonters came out of that recovery better off. But no one else did. Those at the bottom had less income…

Officials urge vigilance, adherence to Covid travel and gathering guidelines By Polly Mikula For the second straight week, Vermont and the Northeast region have seen Covid cases decline. Governor Phil Scott called the trend a “promising sign,” before cautioning listeners at his regular Covid-19 press conference, Tuesday, Dec. 29, that it was “too early to…