Vermont reported 68 new cases of the coronavirus Monday and recorded two new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 69, according to Department of Health data.
Chittenden County, the state’s most populous county, reported the most cases of the virus at 15, followed by Franklin County at 11. Washington County continues to have the highest 14-day total of cases with 278 reported in the past two weeks, attributed in part to an outbreak associated with a Montpelier ice rink.
Along with the two weekend deaths, 21 people were listed as currently hospitalized due to the virus, and five were in the ICU. Officials said Friday that three other recent deaths were among Vermonters ages 76 to 91, and one of those deaths occurred at a long-term care facility.
“Please remember that this is the consequence of more virus in the community, which is exactly why we’ve taken the steps we’ve taken,” Gov. Phil Scott said on Friday.
About half of all deaths so far in Vermont have occurred in long-term care facilities, according to Department of Health data. That’s higher than the national average of 39% reported in The New York Times, although not all states release data on long-term care deaths.
Among the nursing homes hit hard by the virus was Rutland Health & Rehab, where Covid spread rapidly among residents of the memory care unit. As of last week, more than 40 staff and residents had tested positive. Five residents died.
Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine also described an outbreak at Elderwood, a rehab and long-term care facility in Burlington. By Monday, the case count among residents and staff had grown to 25. The facility brought in traveling nurses and staff members from other Elderwood homes to address staffing shortages, according to spokesperson Chuck Hayes.
Lower cases, but fewer tests, too
The latest case counts suggest that cases in Vermont are dropping — but they come as testing numbers dropped over Thanksgiving weekend.
Just 1,958 tests were conducted Sunday, compared to a high of more than 10,000 tests 10 days prior.
The Department of Financial Regulation has predicted that case counts will rise through at least mid-December because of multi-household gatherings Thanksgiving weekend.
The recent drop in tests caused the state’s positivity rate to begin to rise, although it could fall again in the coming days as more tests are conducted. The state will continue to test school staff from pre-K to 12 over the coming weeks.
Katie Jickling contributed to this report.
