On Saturday, the Vermont Department of Health announced three new presumptive cases of coronavirus in Springfield, Central Vermont, and the White River Junction VA Medical Center.
The new cases bring the total to five in Vermont — four presumptive positive cases as well as one that has been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The White River Junction VA Medical Center patient is a 90-year-old veteran from Windsor County. The Springfield patient is a second homeowner in his 50s from Westchester County and the third is also a 50-something man who has recently traveled.
Two major ski companies announced they are immediately suspending operations in Vermont. Alterra, which owns Sugarbush Resort and Stratton Mountain Resort, announced that the two ski areas would be closed for the season, while Vail Resorts put Okemo Mountain Resort, Stowe Mountain Resort and Mount Snow on an 8-day hiatus.
The Vermont State Police announced that in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, troopers will be taking new precautions as they investigate cases. Minor crashes and vandalism incidents may be reported by phone. Officials say more serious crimes will still involve on-site probes.
Ludlow is closing area schools after a local person tested positive for coronavirus. Black River High School Middle School, Cavendish Town Elementary School, Chester-Andover Elementary School, Green Mountain Union School, Ludlow Elementary School and Mount Holly School will be closed until further notice.
The decision to close the schools in the southern Vermont district came as Health Commissioner Mark Levine told lawmakers that, with hundreds of COVID-19 test results coming in, this is a “key weekend” for gathering data needed to determine when to close K-12 schools across the state.
VTDigger has published a guide on how you can help your neighbors during the coronavirus outbreak — by volunteering or donating.
To keep tabs on all of the latest COVID-19 news, bookmark VTDigger’s liveblog, or subscribe here for regular email updates on the coronavirus. If you have any questions or thoughts or updates on how Vermont is responding to COVID-19, contact us at coronavirus@vtdigger.org
Correction: The headline on this story has been updated to correct the number of new cases that were identified in Vermont Saturday.
