VTDigger posts regular coronavirus updates on this page. You can also subscribe here for daily coronavirus news. Please send your Covid-19 questions to coronavirus@vtdigger.org
The University of Vermont Medical Center is treating few coronavirus patients as the hospital continues to experience a sustained decrease in Covid-19 cases.
Stephen Leffler, the hospital’s president, said Friday that the hospital was treating just four Covid-19-positive patients, with only one in the hospital’s intensive care unit. The hospital had 10 Covid-positive patients April 22 and approximately 20 positive patients during the middle of April.
“It is a great relief that we have clearly avoided the surge and what places like New York City and Boston have dealt with,” Leffler said. “We continue to see good trends going forward.”
None of the four Covid-19 patients at the hospital is on a ventilator, Leffler said, and only one additional patient is under investigation for the disease.
The hospital has also seen just a small increase in the number of Covid-19-positive employees, with 33 employees diagnosed with the disease compared to 29 in mid-April. Leffler said the hospital traced employee contacts and believes most caught the disease outside of the workplace.
Of the employees who tested positive, 28 have fully recovered and are back at work, he said.
Leffler said the hospital is making plans on how to resume care delayed due to the pandemic. The hospital is developing a plan for testing and providing personal protective equipment as care offerings expand, he said.
The hospital is waiting for Gov. Phil Scott to allow elective care, Leffler said. He said that he believed it would be soon but could not give a date. Scott mentioned the concern over the interruption of elective surgeries at his Friday press conference and the effect it has had on hospital’s bottom lines.
The UVM Health Network announced Friday that it was projecting a $152 loss this fiscal year due to the coronavirus. The network, composed of UVMMC and five other hospitals in New York and Vermont, announced several measures to reduce costs, including cuts in leadership salaries and retirement benefits, reduction in doctors’ pay, a halt on new capital projects and a hiring freeze.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said he supported Scott’s plans for the reopening of the state’s manufacturing, distribution and construction companies in coming weeks.
Weinberger said Vermonters should be proud of the work they have done to limit the spread of the virus.
“I think we should celebrate as Vermonters the fact that we are one of the first states to be in position to responsibly take steps in this direction,” Weinberger said.
Weinberger said that residents should also be prepared for different challenges as society starts to reopen. He said the start of May coincided with the start of “a new chapter” in dealing with the pandemic.
Leffler said that society will look different as the state shifts into a “suppression” stance in handling the pandemic.
“We’re so thankful for the time that mitigation bought us,” he said. “We have better PPE supplies than we did six weeks ago by far, we have a better supply chain, that’s steady, than we did six weeks ago. We have markedly better testing that is expanding each day.”
Weinberger also announced Friday that the city was expanding its community mask program and offering masks free of cost to the general public after distributing masks to essential workers.
The city has now distributed more than 12,000 masks and spent about $28,000 on the mask initiative, according to Weinberger spokesperson Olivia LaVecchia.
Weinberger said that the city started distributing the masks at grocery stores this week.
“There seems to be real interest in them at the grocery stores, so we are going to continue with the strategy,” he said.
Masks are available for pickup next week at the following times and locations:
Monday, May 4: City Market, South End 7 to 8 a.m.
Tuesday, May 5: Hannaford 7 to 8 a.m. and City Market, South End 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 6: City Market, Downtown 7 to 8 a.m. and Hannaford 4 to 5 p.m.
Thursday, May 7: Market 32 7 to 8 a.m. and City Market, Downtown 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Friday, May 8: Market 32 4 to 5 p.m.
More information can be found at https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/covid-19/masks.
Get the latest statistics and live updates on our coronavirus page.
Sign up for our coronavirus email list.
Tell us your story or give feedback at coronavirus@vtdigger.org.
Support our nonprofit journalism with a donation.
