Cases in Waterbury double since July

By Lisa Scagliotti
WATERBURY ROUNDABOUT
The Vermont Department of Health’s town-by-town data released on Friday shows cumulative case counts through Wednesday, Dec. 1. Waterbury’s total stands at 438 cases, up 24 from the previous week. Waterbury also has not seen that many cases reported in one week since August as the community experienced an increase in virus spread following an outbreak at the summer recreation day camp.

Since the delta variant’s spread began in late July, Waterbury has seen its COVID cases more than double: From March 2020 through July 2021, the state Health Department logged 189 cases for Waterbury. In the most recent four months, however, Waterbury’s total grew by 249 cases.

Likewise cases in local schools have mirrored the community trend with more added in November than earlier in the school year. As of Friday midday, the Harwood Unified Union School District had reported 31 cases since school opened in late August; 19 cases were in November, two so far in December.

Under the bill passed by the Legislature, measures adopted by municipal governments would not apply to schools. Schools in the Harwood district opened in August with a mask mandate and there is no plan to change that yet.

Local governments under the new law may issue mask mandates affecting most places open to the public to be in effect for 45 days with the option to renew them every 30 days through April 2022.

Waterbury officials early in the pandemic issued a mask requirement that was rescinded this summer as cases fell and the statewide state of emergency due to the pandemic was also dropped. Without those directives in place, local practices currently vary. Many local businesses suggest that people wear a mask indoors, but few require masks.

Even at the municipal complex, guidelines are not uniform: The Waterbury Public Library currently requires patrons to wear a mask while the municipal offices require masks only for those not fully vaccinated.

At the Village Market downtown, the entryway sign is typical, noting that masks are optional for shoppers and staff. Other establishments are direct in asking customers and staff to do more, and the results can be mixed.

In a message on social media last week, Stowe Street Café owner Nicole Grenier thanked customers for following the restaurant’s request that all wear masks indoors, noting that most comply, with a few negative exceptions.

“We work in a small space, cases are still climbing here, and we have loved ones who are not yet fully vaccinated or boosted, including my young daughter,” she wrote. “We’ve unfortunately had several new customers lately get angry about our choices and verbally take their frustration out on our staff.”

She pointed out that the café’s indoor mask requirement and no inside dining policy are posted online and at the café. “Our staff are all kind, courteous people just trying their best to do their jobs well with kindness and compassion,” she said.

In an effort to solicit some input ahead of Monday’s Select Board meeting, Revitalizing Waterbury sent out a short email survey to local businesses this week asking whether they support a local mask mandate. Economic Development Director Mark Pomilio Jr. said the results would be shared with the board for the meeting.

Towns consider mask mandates

Like many local governments around the state in recent days, the Waterbury Select Board on Monday will take up the question of whether to enact a local mandate to wear face masks to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In addition to Waterbury, local officials in Waitsfield, Stowe and Montpelier will consider the masking question next week. Rutland City also has the discussion on its agenda for next week.

The topic has risen to the forefront in recent weeks as Vermont has recorded many of the highest daily case counts of the pandemic in November including Thursday’s reported 604 new cases. State deaths reached 416 on Friday, a dozen of those logged in the past two weeks, according to the Health Department.

Recent weeks have seen hospitalizations climb with hospitals around the state reporting diminishing capacity in intensive care units and decisions to cut back on elective procedures to keep beds free for more urgent care.

Despite the pace of community spread, Gov. Phil Scott and state public health officials have resisted calls to set a statewide indoor mask mandate. They recommend instead that people wear masks, leaving it up to individuals whether to comply and to individual establishments whether to request it of workers and patrons. Scott and Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine also strongly urge the public to get vaccinated including getting booster shots. Currently, the vaccine is available for people starting with children as young as age 5.

Since the Legislature took action just before Thanksgiving, officials in a number of communities across Vermont have begun adopting their own measures. Brattleboro was the first to do so on Nov. 23. Warren’s Select Board adopted a measure on Monday and Burlington’s City Council did so on Wednesday.

The Barre City Council this week heeded objections from the public not to institute a mask mandate despite mounting cases there. Barre City leads Washington County in COVID-19 cases with 1,635 logged through Dec. 1, according to Vermont Health Department data. Of those, 967 cases have been reported in the past four months.

At Tuesday’s Barre City Council meeting, Councilor Samn Stockwell pointed out the Granite City has had more than triple the cases seen in Montpelier. Stockwell said Barre City has a slightly smaller population than Montpelier and recorded 1,559 cases, according to data from the state from March 2020 to November 2021. She said Montpelier has had 403 cases over that span.

“That data is powerful,” she said.

The Capital City implemented a mask mandate in June 2020 under Gov. Phil Scott’s state of emergency order, which was lifted in June 2021. Officials in Barre City narrowly opted against such a mandate 18 months ago.

Barre City Councilor Michael Boutin attributed the difference in cases to population density. He said Barre City has a little over 2,000 residents per square mile. Montpelier has a little over 700 residents per square mile.

“So that would explain the reason why we have a little bit larger number of cases. Because when you’re congregated with people, that happens. It’s kind of like New York (City),” Boutin said.

In presenting Stowe’s draft resolution in board meeting materials, Stowe Town Manager Charles Safford notes that “This resolution relies on voluntary cooperation.”

The agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Waterbury board was not posted yet as of Friday morning but Board Chair Mark Frier said the item would be up for consideration. “I certainly think it’s worth the discussion,” Frier said in an email reply to Waterbury Roundabout.

Eric Blaisdell, staff writer for The Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, contributed to this report.