I have strong ties to Vermont and regularly absorb the state’s media. On reading Brian Vogel’s letter specifying Covid-19 stats regarding hospitalizations, I felt they seemed low, so I went to his cited source and checked.
His letter, “Land of the free no more,” was published in VTDigger on Nov. 20. Mr. Vogel wrote then, “According to healthvermont.gov, there are currently 20 people hospitalized with coronavirus — one in intensive care.” Based on his wording, I’ll assume he referred to all of Vermont.
The figures published on Nov. 20 in that same government site’s Weekly Data Summary are considerably higher: 180 across the state are hospitalized, of whom 13% are on a ventilator and 33% are in an ICU. I then compared the report’s figures with those of only a month ago and the increase was alarming.
Gov. Scott is in fact proving to be one of more forward-thinking New England governors and is correct in taking proactive steps to mitigate this situation as best as possible. His actions are in the best interest of all Vermonters.
Larry Lewis
St. Petersburg, Florida