News

State shifting to individual risk for virus mitigation

By Eric Blaisdell
TIMES ARGUS
MONTPELIER, Vt. — State officials say the coronavirus numbers continue to trend in the right direction as Vermont prepares to move to a new phase of the pandemic, one focused on an individual’s risk.

At Gov. Phil Scott’s regular news conference Tuesday, Michael S. Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation who has been analyzing the pandemic data, wasn’t available. Instead, Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine reviewed the latest data from the state, which he said “will continue to reinforce the improving picture of COVID-19 here in Vermont.”

According to the data, the seven-day average for cases decreased 28 percent during the past seven days and 44 percent during the past 14 days. The case average has dropped 88 percent since the omicron peak last month and cases are now at their lowest since early November.

There were 1,540 new cases of the virus reported in the past week, 626 fewer cases than the week before.

Levine said the rate of new hospitalizations for those with the virus has stabilized. He said the state saw a 20 percent decrease in the seven-day hospitalization average through the past week and a 33 percent decrease in patients in the intensive-care unit.

Levine said officials expect these trends to continue in the coming weeks. He said there are currently only eight people in the ICU with the virus, and it has been a while since that number has been in single digits.

The state is averaging just fewer than two deaths per day, with 42 deaths reported this month as of Feb. 22. Levine said there have been 587 deaths from the virus in Vermont, with four reported over the last four days.

“I’m somewhat heartened by the fact that this grim aspect of the virus also appears to be trending down,” the commissioner said.

There were more than 60 deaths from the virus in December and January. Levine said deaths take the longest to reflect the impact that the virus is having on the community.

Levine said the state is heading to a point of less virus transmission and disease, so officials are changing how they tackle virus mitigation. He said the state will move to a recovery phase where the virus is still in the community, but it’s less of a threat.

He said the state will continue to collect case data and monitor wastewater for traces of the virus. He said this will help the state map out how to live safely with the virus.

Levine said as demand decreases at the state’s testing sites, residents will be able to use take-home tests which provide quicker results and can be used as needed.

He said less virus transmission means the risk level will decrease, so residents will no longer have to test themselves before and after social gatherings.

“As we move forward in our planning, we will gradually shift toward fewer broad-based public health recommendations and to a more individualized approach based on one’s own circumstances and health needs. This will mean a strategy that is based on how we all have different levels of risk and we’ll need to navigate them and manage precautions in our own way at our own pace,” Levine said.

The commissioner said assessing one’s own risk will become part of the decision making process going forward.

Levine said some may continue to wear a mask or take extra precautions and those people will have their own good reasons to do so and should be supported and respected.

“As mask policies evolve, we cannot let wearing a mask become a political statement or cause for dividing us,” he said.

According to Levine, the state will focus its efforts on protecting those at high-risk from the virus, making sure they are up to date with their vaccinations and have access to testing and treatment.

eric.blaisdell @timesargus.com

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