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 300. That’s double the current average. To put the increased risk in perspective Commissioner Michael Pieciak noted that Vermont had 871 new cases over five months (May-Sept.) and now in just the past five days (Jan. 7-11), the state has gained 888 new cases. Yet Vermont is still the safest state in the union with just 1 in 70 having been infected, according to the New York Times, Jan. 11. Across the USA the ratio is 1 in 15. Rutland and Windsor counties fare even better with 1 in 101 and 1 in 95, respectively.
How much reporting was really done over the Christmas and New Year holidays? I’m sure some of those numbers are from before Christmas, and they’re getting caught up now.