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The state is conducting blanket testing for the coronavirus at two high-risk facilities, the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington and Decker Towers, a senior housing complex in Burlington.Â
The Scott administration reported 21 new cases and one new death from the coronavirus since Sunday, continuing what appears to be a plateauing of new cases amid widespread social distancing measures.
Unlike the previous facilities where contact tracing was conducted, there is no evidence of an outbreak at the two locations.
However, there is enough concern to do comprehensive testing at the facilities, Human Services Secretary Mike Smith told reporters on Monday.
Smith said there were two recent deaths at Decker Towers, a senior living facility run by the Burlington Housing Authority. One death was found to be unrelated to the coronavirus while another remains under investigation. There was also one self-reported case of Covid-19 in the building, he added.
“Although deaths may be common at a facility like this, we take extra precaution because this is a senior living facility,” Smith said. “That fact coupled with a self-reported Covid-19 case in that facility has led us to the conclusion that we needed to begin testing of the entire facility.”
Smith said 139 residents were tested on Sunday, and that nine state workers were continuing to test remaining residents and staff members on Monday.
At the Vermont Veterans’ Home, the only senior living facility run by the state, one staff member tested positive for Covid-19 on March 15. Smith said that none of the 122 residents of the facility had tested positive since then.
“So, obviously it’s past the 14-day mark in terms of what’s going on, but out of an abundance of caution today we are beginning testing of that entire facility, as well,” Smith said.
The state’s testing at the Veterans’Hhome and Burlington housing complex highlight major changes to how the state is responding to potential outbreaks.
Health Commissioner Mark Levine noted that some governments, such as those in South Korea and Taiwan, were doing even broader testing programs, sometimes using GPS data to identify at-risk populations.
“I don’t envision that happening in Vermont, but at the same time we’re certainly not putting any barriers up to testing,” Levine said. “And I think we’ve succeeded pretty well and getting a lot of testing done.”
Vermont has now tested more than 10,000 people for Covid-19, including more than 500 on Sunday alone, according to Levine. That total figure places Vermont near the top among all states in terms of testing per capita.
Smith called the results from the veteran’s home would be instructive as to how Vermont approaches large facilities without confirmed cases or symptomatic populations. “It will be very interesting to see if there are positive people who really don’t have symptoms,” he said.
The state did not conduct blanket testing at other senior living facilities and nursing homes — such as the Burlington Health and Rehab, where at least 8 residents have died — until an outbreak had already emerged through symptomatic residents and staffers.
Levine said that many of Vermont’s early Covid-19 deaths were at nursing homes, but that more of the recent deaths have been hospitalized patients from other settings.
Levine added that the state was taking new precautions at elder care facilities, such as requiring a 14-day quarantine when people are discharged, and requiring all staff to always wear masks.
Northwest prison outbreak
Vermont’s latest outbreak occurred at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, where 32 inmates and 16 employees have now tested positive for the virus. The majority of those inmates have been moved to a prison in St. Johnsbury.
Smith recognized on Monday that state officials were not able to engage people in St. Johnsbury in the dialogue that would typically occur before such moves are made. He also addressed concerns that the nearby hospitals would be overwhelmed, explaining that the state has a transportation plan for prisoners who need medical care.
“Conversations that would normally be held over months by necessity are now done in days,” Smith said. “As we look to handle all populations in a safe and responsible and caring manner, do we get everything completely right? Probably not.”
About 25 inmates who aren’t Covid-19 positive are still detained at the St. Johnsbury prison, but are living in a separate wing from the infected inmates. He said corrections officers at the facility have been trained and equipped with personal protective equipment.
Smith was asked whether moving the infected prisoners to St. Johnsbury could increase the likelihood of the virus spreading in the Northeast Kingdom, by potentially exposing prison staffers who then live in the community.
“I can’t give you an assurance,” Smith said, “but I can tell you, we have put measures into place to give as much assurance as we can.”