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Vermont’s Department of Health reported Thursday that five more people have died from Covid-19 in recent days, including three additional residents of the Birchwood Terrace Rehab and Healthcare in Burlington.
That equals the biggest daily jump in reported deaths in Vermont — the figure increased from 2 to 7 on March 24. However, a health official said the deaths reported Thursday occurred over a few days.
The latest figures bring the total numbers of state deaths from the coronavirus to 35. The state reported nine more people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Vermont, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 768.
In addition to the new three deaths reported at Birchwood, one of the latest deaths occurred at the University of Vermont Medical Center. The other was a Vermont resident who died out of state, according to Ben Truman, the health department spokesperson.
The three new deaths reported at Birchwood brings the total number of deaths at that facility to six, according to the health department.
While the five new deaths were reported in the health department’s daily report Thursday, they did not all occur in the past 24 hours. Truman said one of the deaths took place today while other deaths occurred last Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.
“There are several reasons for such delays in reporting,” Truman wrote in an email. “For example, the death certification process takes time. “
He added, “We were aware of a couple of these individuals shortly after they died but were waiting either for the death to be officially certified or for swabs to come back confirming that the individuals were, in fact, confirmed COVID-19 cases.”
Also, according to Truman, the reporting on Vermont residents who die out of state can be delayed by efforts to verify and cross-reference the information.
The Birchwood facility now has the second most reported Covid-19 deaths of any facility in the state. A coronavirus outbreak at the Burlington Health and Rehabilitation Center in Burlington has resulted in nine deaths, according to the health department.
The Birchwood facility now has the second most reported Covid-19 deaths of any facility in the state. A coronavirus outbreak at the Burlington Health and Rehabilitation Center in Burlington has resulted in nine deaths, according to the health department.
Alecia DiMario, Birchwood’s executive director, wrote in an email Thursday that she could not provide more information about the cases involving the deaths at the facility due to privacy laws.
But she added that she was only aware of the deaths of five residents associated with Covid-19.
Truman, contacted later in the afternoon about the discrepancy in the health department’s figure of six deaths at Birchwood, said that the state stood by that number.
“We cannot say for certain why there was a discrepancy, but the likely reason was related to the time between the death and the certification finding COVID-19 as a cause of death,” Truman wrote in an email. “The facility may not have yet been informed of the finding when you spoke with them.”
Birchwood has had a total of 49 residents test positive for the coronavirus as well as 24 staff members. The facility currently has 95 residents and about 150 employees, including those who work full time, part time, or on a per diem basis, according to DiMario.
