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Vermont’s health commissioner advised all Vermonters on Friday to wear cloth masks in public, as federal advice on masks is also shifting.
Dr. Mark Levine, the state’s health chief, also announced 51 new cases, but no new deaths, as testing ramps up across the state.
Levine noted that people infected with the coronavirus may transmit the virus 48 hours before showing symptoms.
“So wearing a face mask may help people from spreading the virus,” Levine said.
“So now I am joining other health leaders in recommending that Vermonters wear cloth face masks in public, even if they have no symptoms,” he added.
Levine said he expected the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make a similar nationwide recommendation in the next few days.
The health commissioner said he wanted to stress that Vermont must still save medical-grade masks for health care workers, and said that social distancing remains crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont.
Gov. Phil Scott, speaking after Levine during a Friday press conference, reiterated that point.
“I want to be clear, this is not a substitute for staying home,” Scott said. “And it is not an excuse to mingle with others.”
Scott and Levine said they were waiting on federal guidance before recommending exactly which type of facemask people should wear, apart from not using the N95 masks needed for health care workers.
“The president went as far as, you know, woolen scarves and things like that, which may be reasonable, but may not be the most effective,” Levine said, in response to a question about what masks people should wear. “But there are other cloth materials that can be used in lieu of an actual medical grade mask.”
Many volunteers in Vermont have already started making masks, as demand for them has become a major public health concern. The New York Times has a guide on “how to sew a face mask,” given their current scarcity.
The 51 new cases announced on Friday was the highest single-day total, but also comes as the state is trying to expand testing. There were 470 lab results since Thursday’s data update, Levine said, which is almost 10% of all tests conducted so far.
Vermont now has about 390 total cases and 17 deaths from the coronavirus.
State officials revealed their coronavirus caseload forecasts on Thursday for the first time. While there is still significant uncertainty around how quickly the virus is spreading in Vermont, the state’s current modeling shows that in a “likely scenario” the hospital system would be stretched, but possibly not overwhelmed, by the demand for hospital rooms, intensive care rooms and ventilators.
Public Safety Commissioner Michael Schirling said the state’s current supply of medical-grade face protection is 21,693 patient days, a figure that factors in the equipment needed for each day a patient is in the hospital.
“So, if everything holds, and our trajectory remains where it is today, we will have plenty,” Schirling said. “If folks begin congregating and not paying attention to the guidance that’s been given by the CDC in the executive orders, the burn rates will go up, the number of cases will go up and we will be at risk of outstripping our supply” of face masks and other medical supplies.
Other highlights from Friday’s briefing
— The Scott administration said the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, which counts about 40% of its patients as coming from Vermont, is not being factored into the state’s hospital capacity for coronavirus response purposes.
Human Services Secretary Mike Smith said Vermont was aware that Dartmouth-Hitchcock might have some resources available for Vermonters on the east side of the state, but wasn’t including that in the state’s current modeling.
“So, we understand … the capacity that is there but at the same time, we want to make darn sure that we are counting the beds that we know are available,” Smith said.
— Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore offered guidelines on how to stay safe outdoors given the current social distancing orders. She told people to remain within 10 miles of their homes.
“If you arrive at a crowded trailhead or a place with an unmanageable parking situation, see that as a sign,” she said. “Please turn around and choose an alternative that’s not as crowded.”
— Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday that he will soon extend his order closing restaurants and bars (apart from takeout orders and delivery).
Scott’s executive order closing bars and restaurants was among his first moves to promote social distancing, and is set to expire on April 6. Scott said the order would soon be extended. (Later Friday, the governor extended the order to April 15.)
“You can expect that there’ll be an extension of the initial order, and that’ll be coming in the next two or three days,” Scott said at a Friday press briefing.
— Shirling, the public safety chief, said no punitive enforcement measures have been taken thus far for individuals or enterprises found to be violating the governor’s coronavirus executive orders.
“No, not aware of any,” Schirling said of penalties and fines against offenders, “and I believe that with full visibility to what’s going on on the ground.”
