by Guy Page
The leader of the Vermont Senate, Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham), yesterday said Gov. Phil Scott must impose a mask mandate because 90% vaccination of eligible Vermonters isn’t working.
“This virus is unpredictable. We all hoped infection rates would drop as more Vermonters got vaccinated, but clearly that hasn’t happened, and we are overdue for a reassessment of strategy and a course correction,” Balint said in a statement issued Monday. Here it is in its entirety:
“Earlier today I requested a meeting with Governor Phil Scott to discuss the Covid-19 infection numbers that were released today. I conveyed to his staff that it’s long past time for his administration to pivot in their approach to the pandemic. Four weeks ago I made the same request. Today, 591 new cases were reported, the highest number to date, we have 53 Vermonters hospitalized, and 14 of those are in intensive care units. These numbers speak for themselves–this is unacceptable and we cannot continue this way. Although the governor was not able to accommodate my request today, I sincerely hope we are able to meet tomorrow and together begin to map out a better path forward for Vermonters. We cannot afford to wait another day. The administration’s plan is not working.
As far back as August, when the Speaker of the House and I reached out with concerns about the Delta variant we were told by the administration that the covid infection rates would plateau in a few weeks time. This didn’t happen–not in September or October. We continued to press for a shift in strategy and asked the tough questions about why that was not being done. Now we are seeing our highest numbers yet and our greatest community spread, and his team is still not using all the tools at our disposal. This is taking a terrible toll on families.They do not have the support they need to ride out this crisis.
I am one of many parents across Vermont whose child is home from school and is quarantining this week because she was potentially exposed to a positive case in her school. My spouse and I are juggling childcare while also doing our jobs. We are far from the only ones, but we are fortunate to have resources that other families don’t. Neither of us have to sacrifice a shift, or a paycheck, or a job to stay home with our children. Many Vermont families are at a breaking point; this surge in infections is crushing them. Staying the course on a failing strategy doesn’t make sense. We must be using every tool we have to help reduce the community spread of the disease.
It isn’t too late to change course. We can re-institute a masking mandate, and it can be tied to rates of infection in hot spots. Other states have already done this. We can still reduce the number of infections, the number of hospitalizations, and the number of Vermonters who will die from this highly contagious virus.
When things aren’t working, strong leaders do not stick their heads in the sand. They re-evaluate, pivot, and commit to a new path. This virus is unpredictable. We all hoped infection rates would drop as more Vermonters got vaccinated, but clearly that hasn’t happened, and we are overdue for a reassessment of strategy and a course correction. It has to happen now. I look forward to talking with the administration about how to get this done.”
Vermont Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) yesterday issued the following statement:
“The first thing that came to mind when I saw today’s case count of 591 was, ‘Why? Why is more action not being taken to protect Vermonters and keep our communities safe? Why don’t we implement the strategies we know work, like a mask mandate, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19?’ The Governor has stated that he has the tools available to support our communities, but has yet to utilize those tools and has not articulated when the appropriate time is to roll out the mitigation strategies we know work. That time is now. That time was yesterday. That time was a month ago.
“Parents, students, business owners, health care providers, educators, and local officials are exhausted and looking for the Governor and his administration to take steps to support them in their day to day lives. Early on in the pandemic, Vermont was heralded as a leader in our response to the pandemic and the tremendous effort that went into collaborating and finding collaborative solutions to support our families, friends, and neighbors. Our communities are still making sacrifices to support each other, but they need the Governor and his team to take state action to give them some relief. We are not talking about shutting down businesses or implementing travel restrictions. A statewide masking policy, reminding Vermonters of the effective ways that we can protect ourselves and others – like staying home when you are sick, and increasing the availability of testing are all ways we can bend the curve like we did in the beginning.
“The data presented at the most recent press conference shows that we are on track to have this level of community spread for the next four weeks, and it is unfathomable to me that nothing is being done to address this unprecedented spread of the virus in every county in the state.”
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“Vermonters are absolutely burned out and cannot understand why more is not being done to mitigate the spread in our communities. The Governor has the power and authority to take immediate action, he has before, and I know he can do it again. This is not a political decision; this is a decision that should be made based on following the data and the science. Governor Scott, please take action today to implement a statewide masking policy and utilize other strategies we know will make a difference in protecting Vermonters.”
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Categories: Covid-19
If these vaccines and , made in China plastic fiber masks WORKED , you wouldnt need another “Mask mandate”
People need to STAND up against poor judgement and, government officials violating your rights.
Dear Jill,
Why is the first thing you think of as a solution to increasing Covid numbers a mask mandate?
What evidence do you have that a mask mandate would change the numbers or help in any way?
Please open your mind and think? Masks, Shots and Shot Boosters are obviously NOT WORKING, so how about looking from a different perspective?
Such as:
1.) Many believe the PCR Tests and testing process are seriously flawed and show many false
positives. Have you investigated this?
2.) Many believe the Covid Shots limit resistance and invite Covid Variants/Mutations in Shot
Recipients spreading the Variants/Mutations which is causing the rise in numbers/cases.
Have you investigated this?
If the State/Federal Governments, Agencies and Politicians would drop their Covid Mantra and really analyse the situation, we might be able to find a REAL SOLUTION. Masks are NOT A SOLUTION. They are an emotional band aid for EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ONLY.
I’m very sure that as more testing is done, more tests will be positive.
I’m very sure that the Federal government and the CDC are blocking treatment options- to benefit their reputations and their donors.
I am also very sure that Krowinski can blovate all she wishes- and not change the above statements. She is correct about the state and federal governments not doing enough to mitigate the effects of this virus. See statements above. She nor any other politician will put a mask on my face or another needle in my arm.
Ms. Krowinski is very free to hide in her house until fauci says it’s safe. She’d be doing all of Vermont a great benefit.
Masks will not help. But if it makes you feel “safe” to wear a mask, be my guest.
Why are case numbers so high? Same reason as why this happened in every other highly vaxed place. Sadly most Vermonters rushed to get the vax. Had they not we’d have a high level of natural immunity now and this wouldn’t be happening. Panicked parents are getting their kids vaxed which is utterly insane. Both adults and kids will end up on a vaccine treadmill, vulnerable to every variant that comes down the pike.
If liberals (I’d like to use another affectionate word for them but don’t want to get banned) and anyone else for that matter want to wear masks, NO ONE IS STOPPING YOU! No one has been, no one is, and no one is going to. But I’m done. Clearly NONE of what our government has been forcing on us is working. Those that want to wear masks and cower at home and stop living their lives are more than free to do so. But I will not be forced to do anything anymore, including wearing a face diaper. Time to let it go and let those of us who want to live a normal life again do so. No one is stopping you from hiding in your basement with 3 masks on! Time to stand up and push back Vermont!
Watching government flail around on this issue is like watching a game of pin the tail on the donkey. They are utterly clueless. Wherever I go in public places most people are already wearing masks. Will another 10% or 20% of people help?
Last year, North and South Dakota, which are nearly the same demographically and geographically, had opposite policies on masks. Who fared better? Non-mandate South Dakota fared better, despite testing a whole lot more than their neighbor. https://swprs.org/face-masks-evidence/#foobox-1/10/north-dakota-south-dakota-mask-comparison.jpg
The elephant in the room is the vaccine. It has always been the vaccine. Remember the saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”? Well, the vaccine doesn’t kill the virus. You can figure out the rest.
The beatings will continue until morale improves!! All around the world high vaxed areas have same result. Better do more of the same. How are Florida’s numbers?!! Hey d-bag legislators, your policies are MAKING IT WORSE! Better get your booster. Then you’ll be “protected ” for another 3 months with another 42 trillion abrasive, cytotoxic spike proteins floating around in your body and causing your immune system to self destruct….SAFE and EFFECTIVE im sure. Talk about a cleansing
The narrative is the Legislature will double down on failed policies and mandates. They will violate civil rights and constitutional rights. As Biden’s spokesperson said, this about “compliance!” Obey or you will face punishment and banishment from society! Alternative media is pointing out Vermont every week lately – higher mortality rates than ever before and more cases after vaccination than before. We will be the Aussie / Kiwi police state in short order if this keeps up.
And, if the State’s Covid reports to date are any indication, they will misrepresent the data to artificially exaggerate the risk of not following their recommendations. As always – Caveat emptor.
Apparently, Vermont isn’t the only State manipulating its COVID statistics.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/11/creepy_coverup_of_covid_death_data_at_rachel_levines_pennsylvania_department_of_health.html
Wed Nov 10, 2021 – 10:40 am EST
BERLIN (LifeSiteNews) – The president of Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division told international “experts” during a globalist health conference that the mRNA COVID-19 shots are indeed “cell and gene therapy” marketed as “vaccines” to be palatable to the public.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bayer-executive-mrna-shots-are-gene-therapy-marketed-as-vaccines-to-gain-public-trust/
We’re famous! Yay! Well maybe infamous? We’ve joined the list of all the other heavily vaxed places where Covid has roared back. Who woulda thunk it?
Please Governor Scott- really think this through. We have gone down the wrong path. Continuing to do what we’ve always done and expecting different results is insanity. You have the power to take a step back, stop with the vax mandates and for heavens sake, don’t vax the kids!!
https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/worldwide-vaccine-failure?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNTY0NDcxOCwicG9zdF9pZCI6NDM5NTAxNzUsIl8iOiJ3T2JweiIsImlhdCI6MTYzNjczMzUzMCwiZXhwIjoxNjM2NzM3MTMwLCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMzYzMDgwIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.iGTHHiWVnpM2Vxfu8103AG7L-974JEWQOG1Y0VMzwS0
not to mention Norway I believe it is, Sweden? has stopped allowing visitors from countries with the highest vaccination rates including Israel and the US. What do they know that these other countries don’t?
Actually the data says masking and lock downs are a net negative on overall public health. The governor knows this and has mentioned it many times. The science doesnt support these tactics so stop saying we know they work.
One of the influential CDC people said he is against the vaccine because it is actually extending the virus’s damage. Of course he will not be quoted by the left because it ruins their narrative.
IF these people really cared about us they would be promoting Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine and recommending people take vitamins D and C supplements.
IT’S ABOUT CONTROL, NOTHING MORE
If the Vax is a safe & effective Bio Weapon, I’d say its working as intended!
What makes Becca so sure it isn’t?
The term “cases” has been seriously abused.
If cases measure anti-bodies, that includes people getting the virus, people who have had contact with virus and fought it off, people who have fought off viruses all their lives, like me,
SO, The number of “Cases” is the worst way to report this virus.
HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY SICK? THEY DON’T TELL US!!
one might conclude the more vaccinations the more cases as i believe the vaccine allows that person to carry a higher viral load. if masks and the vaccine were the answer we would know by now. only the government thinks they are in charge of getting rid of a virus and doubling down on ideas that do not work. is there no topic that the Democrats will not make political?
The rate of new COVID-19 cases in California is currently more than twice the rate in Florida, casting doubt on the draconian public health measures there, like vaccine mandates for small children. California is averaging 16 new cases per 100,000 residents the last week compared to just seven in Florida.
California’s full vaccination rate (62%) is higher than places like Florida (60) and Texas (54), where state leaders do not enforce mask policies or support strict mandates.
California has seen a surge of more than 60% in new cases in the last two weeks, compared to a 20% drop in the Sunshine State. It makes perfect sense that democrats would want Vermont to be like California — NOT!
At some point are we going to get an apology, I wonder?
Many of us predicted this debacle. We predicted that the vaccination would cause more harm than good. We predicted that it would result in more COVID, not less. We predicted the mandates would fail.
We have been called ignorant, selfish, unscientific, uneducated, far-right, racist fascists. We have had our patriotism called into question. We have had our jobs and livelihoods threatened and terminated. We have been forced to justify our religious beliefs. We have been berated, vilified and stigmatized. We’ve had our basic inalienable rights trampled – first for two weeks, then for two months and now for almost two years. For almost two full years, you have abused us and you have abused our children. And when you thought you might be on shaky legal ground, you had your useful idiots do the dirty work for you – you sad little lot know who you are.
And now you ruefully admit the vaccination mandate didn’t work so you want more mandates?? Wait, what was that? Did I hear an apology from under that dirty little piece of fabric covering your upper front hole? I’m sorry if we gave you the impression we would comply with more mandates. We will not. We refuse your abuse!
👏
FDA just recalled a whole lot of faulty “false positive” COVID tests
https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/fda-alert-2-million-at-home-covid-19-tests-recalled-over-false-positives_4101243.html?utm_source=News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-11-12-2&mktids=d9d5e31e81b94b1dbe3855b9a45047db&est=CM7mhyobRwMPq48qbzVRB7QGR6GMJULDtrBPtO%2Bh2LVX6saDTFcHYwYWjy5ldVQpl%2Fgb
I know of several families that recently had the virus sweep through their entire household. They were sick, but not deathly ill, and are recovering at home. If only they had some prophylactic treatment options, but the lawmakers who say they’re trying to “keep us safe” has kept that from us.
I was on a public (electric) bus in Manhattan a couple weeks ago. There is a mask mandate but there were people without masks on the bus. No one there to enforce the mandate. It won’t work. If these legislators want it, they should call a special session BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS. If not, shut the pie hole.
Gosh, I haven’t heard of any flu cases in two years and are the hospitals still getting $26,000 from Feds for each COVID patient treated??? If so that might drive numbers
Curious indeed. Charlie Munger coined the phrase “Show me the incentives and I’ll show you the outcome!” Never before has the truth of this been more clearly on display.
All the incentives regarding COVID from the Feds have been aligned with more people getting the disease. Incentives to companies, incentives to individuals, incentives to healthcare providers, incentives to state governments. They are all proportional to the amount of COVID circulating. Until these incentives stop, COVID will continue to (remarkably) spread like wildfire.
Thanks to the courage of Governors like DeSantis and Noem in rejecting most of these incentives, we see it first hand. These states have won the short-term battle, they are winning the medium-term battle, and since most of their citizenry have or will have natural immunity to COVID and its variants, they will win the war.
Preventative treatment by doing a mouth and nasal rinse a couple times a day, prime your immune system by starting vitamin D and zinc NOW, then early treatment when you come in contact with covid. THAT is how to deal with Covid. This is helping people recover unscathed all over the world.
At this point, the activist demoKKKrats and progressives have abandoned the science and are going hard-core politics and optics on COVID. The hand washing and distancing in indoor public spaces are common sense measures that have also prevented flu and cold transmission but these liberal taliban are pushing their burqas for the same reason it is done in islamic bleepholes, to gain discipline and compliance. MY BODY, MY CHOICE…remember that slogan??? Oh, but we are talking about “risking the lives of others”……yea, just like when a pregnant person chooses to terminate…it risks the lives of others!
Stand firm Governor Scott, and stick with science and common sense and let these marxists stick their necks out pushing for unnecessary mask mandates. At this point, we can hope that most people are getting sick of it and see it for what it is…leftist authoritarianism.