Vermonters 70 and older can make vaccinations from Tuesday

Vermonters 70 years and older will be able to make an appointment from February 16 to get the Covid-19 vaccine, officials said at a press conference on Friday.

The Vermonters, about 33,000 people, form the next group in the state’s age grouping strategy, which prioritizes older people, said Mike Smith, secretary of the human service. The state then passes to people 65 and older, followed by Vermonters with high-risk conditions.

Anyone can create an account on the Department of Health website from now on in preparation for the registration process, he said. Vermonters 70 and older can register online for an appointment or by calling a designated phone line from Tuesday at 08:15

Vermonters can also make an appointment through Walgreens, which receives a separate grant of vaccines from the federal government.

About 38% of people 75 years and older received their first dose through the current process, Smith said. This includes 538 home-bound Vermonters, who receive doses received by local home health agencies and emergency medical services.

In total, 12.5% of Vermonters 16 and older received at least the first dose of the vaccine, with 37,200 people starting and 32,600 people completing, according to the department.

Government Phil Scott reiterates his defense of the age grouping process, saying it has enabled Vermont to move smoothly through the process compared to its neighbors who have made broader categories eligible. “Just saying that people are eligible does not mean they have the doses to cover it,” Scott said.

“That’s why we’ve seen other states cancel appointments, perhaps in the future, even for those in their 70s and 80s,” he said. “Here in Vermont, we have taken a different approach to setting realistic expectations based on the offer we know.”

Music programs restart

The state will resume school music programs next week as school sports games resume, officials announced at a news conference Friday.

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The music programs have several new restrictions aimed at limiting viral spread: artists must have a distance of 6 feet, instrumental artists must wear a cut mask while playing, rehearsals are limited to 30 minutes and performances can not be a have a personal audience.

Education Secretary Dan French said music was a “more challenging” area as officials were considering reopening school activities. But with lowercase letters, they made their confidence in their ability to do so.

“Some of our limitations indicate that there is a lot involved in musical instruments that function differently from an aerosol production perspective – flute, for example, is much safer than oboes,” he said. “The mitigation measures for music are therefore relatively complicated.”

Singing will also be included in the new leadership, he said. Officials are still investigating ways to restart theater and performing arts.

“As we consider moving to a recovery phase in education, these types of activities will become an important strategy to address the social emotional needs of our students, and it will greatly help to maintain a sense of normality in our to restore lives, “he said. said.

Cases Increase in Franklin

Franklin County set a new record on Friday for a one-day case with 36 as the state struggles with multiple increases, according to the Department of Health.

The state reported 162 cases Friday, an increase of 126 the previous day. The state did not report any new deaths and kept the total number at 189.

In hospitals, 47 people diagnosed with Covid-19, including 11 in the ICU, are a slight decrease from previous days with nearly 60 hospitalizations.

Health Commissioner Mark Levine said Franklin, Bennington and Rutland had struggled with the virus, but their cases could not be attributed to outbreaks; instead, most of community transfer comes within and between households.

He also addressed the announcement of the discovery of the Covid B117 variant in Burlington wastewater, saying it must be confirmed with genomic sequence of a positive case to confirm that it was actually found in Vermont.

The increased portability of the variant could lead to an increase in cases that would increase hospitalizations and deaths, Levine said. But he said at the time that no additional restrictions or guidance were needed.

He said recent research by the Federal Centers for Disease Control found that double-masking or stricter masking could significantly limit the spread of the virus. “If you’m worried about the fit of your mask or you want extra protection against a tighter fit, it may be worth a try,” he said.

The CDC also recently said that people who have received both doses of the vaccine in the past three months and experience no symptoms do not need to go into quarantine if they have been exposed to a Covid case, Levine said.

“This is great news that shows that we believe that vaccination not only infects you by 90 days, but that you will not be able to spread the virus,” he said.

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Music programs restart

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Cases Increase in Franklin

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