More than three weeks after Covid-19 reappeared in Vermont’s long-term care facilities, the number of cases continues to grow, according to data collected by the state Department of Health.
Four facilities — Maple Lane Nursing Home in Barton, Ethan Allen Residence in Burlington, Maple Ridge Assisted Living and Memory Care in Essex Junction, and the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington — reported a collective 62 cases, many involving residents.
That tally does not include scattered cases in facilities that have not reported outbreaks. But those scattered cases collectively make up far fewer cases than those reported at the four facilities, according to Health Commissioner Mark Levine. The health department defines an outbreak as three or more related cases involving residents or staff in a 14-day period.
At 25 cases, the outbreak at Maple Lane is by far the largest. Levine said at a press conference on Tuesday the situation just “came to light in the last couple of days or so” and remains under investigation.
Representatives from Maple Lane were not immediately available for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The rise in long-term care facility cases comes as state officials report an increased number of hospitalizations among people older than 70, exacerbated by the contagious nature of the Delta variant. More than 96% of people in that age group are vaccinated, according to health department data. State officials attributed some of the hospitalizations to the decreased immunity of coronavirus vaccines eight months after a second dose is taken.
The state plans to administer third doses to long-term care residents and health care workers after such booster shots are approved on Sept. 20, Secretary of Human Services Mike Smith said Tuesday.
The outbreak data comes days after federal regulators said they would develop universal staff vaccination rules for more than 15,000 nursing homes nationwide. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services encouraged health care workers in these facilities to get vaccinated immediately. Some Vermont facilities — including Genesis Health’s four nursing homes in the state — have said they have already implemented universal vaccination mandates. Gov. Phil Scott said earlier this month that his administration is developing a similar policy for the state-owned Vermont Veterans’ Home.
Nursing home administrators have said they were concerned that such mandates would exacerbate nursing staff shortages in these facilities, according to national reports.
Monica White, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, said late last week that staffing levels at long-term care facilities remain a concern.
“There are no easy solutions at hand in the event unvaccinated staff choose to leave their employment rather than receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” White wrote in an email Friday.
“Our top concern is the safety of Vermonters who reside in long term care facilities — and that includes adequate staffing levels to assure quality of care. We will work closely with facility administrators to monitor impacts of this new Federal requirement, and offer guidance/support once we know more about how CMS will be implementing this,” she said.
