Vermont reported 87 cases of the coronavirus Monday, again in line with previous daily totals in what officials have described as a “stabilizing” pattern of cases, according to Department of Health data.
The state also added nine deaths to its data over the three-day weekend, bringing the total to 129. Eighteen people are currently hospitalized for the virus, including five in the ICU.
As with other holiday weekends, the number of tests performed over the past few days dropped compared to previous weeks. The state performed 1,000 to 2,800 tests per day over the past few days, lower than its typical goal of over 5,000 tests per day.
Gov. Phil Scott loosened some restrictions on multi-household gatherings in advance of the holidays, allowing Vermonters to meet with one other trusted household. He said the state would review data after that time period to see if the new rules could be extended.
The effects of that decision won’t be known until the end of this week at the earliest, and the full impact probably won’t be seen until mid-January.
Chittenden and Bennington counties had the most cases reported Monday, with 41 and 15 cases, respectively.
