On March 13, 2020, Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency for the Covid-19 pandemic and limited the size of public gatherings in an early effort to mitigate the spread of the disease.
The state had not yet reported its first Covid death and reported only a handful of Covid cases at the time. Little was known about the progress of the novel coronavirus or how Vermont would be affected by it, so changes moved quickly. For example, Scott said on March 13 that schools would stay open — only to close them to in-person learning two days later.
Four years on, Covid’s toll on Vermont has become clearer. More than 1,100 Vermonters have died from the virus since it arrived in the state, according to the latest weekly surveillance report from the state Department of Health. The number of Covid cases has long surpassed counting, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 74% of Vermonters have had the disease at least once.
The current respiratory virus season appears to be waning, according to the Vermont health department data. The department reported 18 hospital admissions for Covid in the past week, down from a peak of 59 in the week of Jan. 10.
Positive PCR tests — typically used in medical settings and more accurate than at-home tests — for Covid have also dropped from a mid-January peak, along with wastewater testing levels, the department said. For the first time this year, the weekly report showed no new outbreaks reported at long-term care facilities, health care facilities or schools and child care centers.
This year’s respiratory virus season, which the health department typically tracks from October to May, has so far proven less deadly than the previous one. The state has reported 102 deaths due to Covid from October to February, compared with 138 deaths for the same time period a year earlier.
The state’s flu levels have also remained “minimal” or “low” throughout the season, according to the CDC.
At the same time, fewer Vermonters are getting Covid vaccines to protect them against the most recent strains of the disease. Only 24% of residents have received the updated 2023 Covid vaccine, according to the health department. That’s compared with 35% of Vermonters ages 5 or older who received the bivalent booster dose last year.
Health department officials continue to recommend Vermonters stay up to date on their vaccinations. When someone is sick, they recommend getting tested, avoiding contact with others and considering special measures like antiviral treatments if you are part of a high-risk group.
