Updated at 5:45 p.m.
The 487 new Covid-19 cases reported Thursday by the Vermont Department of Health breaks the record for a one-day case total by more than 100 cases.
The spike comes after a lull of mixed case numbers, where the seven-day average wavered between 200 and 220 cases per day. Now, with Thursday’s big bump, the seven-day average has risen to 247 cases per day.
The last time Vermont shattered its previous one-day case total — with 330 cases on Sept. 15 — the health department blamed the number on a computer error that artificially delayed test results.
But this time, “the numbers are accurate and there are no associated glitches or delays,” department spokesperson Ben Truman confirmed via email.
He said daily spikes and dips in cases are sometimes linked to how many Vermonters get tested in a given day.
The data shows that testing spiked on Thursday, with 18,222 new tests conducted in one day.
“Nonetheless, the continued high number of cases reflect a concerning level of ongoing community spread of the virus,” he said.
Gov. Phil Scott issued a written statement that noted the high number of tests could have contributed to the record-breaking number of cases but warned, “We do have to consider the impact this case count could have on our hospital capacity in the coming weeks.”
“If we stayed at this level of cases, based on our current hospitalization rate, there is potential to see the number of people currently hospitalized increase to over 80, which would be a significant strain on the system,” he said in the statement.
He said a state of emergency remains unnecessary but urged Vermonters to follow public health recommendations such as wearing masks indoors, getting tested, limiting the size of gatherings, and being cautious around older and high-risk family and friends.
But first on his list for preventing additional cases and hospitalizations was getting vaccinated or getting the booster shot.
“Unvaccinated adults are directly contributing to the strain on our hospital capacity,” he said. “Enough is enough; it’s time to step up and get vaccinated — something over 90% of your fellow Vermont adults have done.”
Children ages 5 to 11 became eligible for the vaccine Wednesday.
[Looking for data on breakthrough cases? See our reporting on the latest available statistics.]
“Today’s data underscores the urgency for parents and caregivers to sign their children up to be vaccinated if they are eligible,” he said.
Chittenden County reported the most cases on Thursday with 65 cases. But it’s also the state’s most populous county, and its total is in line with recent days.
Bennington, Caledonia, Essex and Franklin counties all reported new one-day records on Thursday. Rutland County reported its second-highest one-day total with 48 new cases, a significant rise from recent days.
It’s unclear how the latest numbers have affected Vermont’s ranking compared with other states since most national data sources update their rankings on a delayed schedule and use seven-day averages rather than daily totals.
Fifty-five people in Vermont are currently hospitalized with the virus, including 19 people in intensive care units. The record ICU total is 20.
The department also disclosed six new deaths in its data. In total, 374 people have died during the pandemic, including six in November.
Correction: The total number of Covid-19 deaths during the pandemic has been updated.
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