Highest 14-day total of cases in nation cited as need for drastic action
by Guy Page
Liberal Democrat and Progressive members of the Vermont House and Senate will hold a press conference at 4:30 pm today demanding Gov. Phil Scott reinstate the State of Emergency and impose a universal mask mandate. They cite Vermont’s 14-day average of cases being the highest in the nation.
“The numbers of infections in our communities are growing and just last weekend Vermont reported a record-high single-day total of 345 cases,” a press release from Sen. Kesha Ram-Hinsdale (D-Chittenden) issued today says. “Our state’s approach to this virus used to be celebrated nationwide, and now the CDC reports that Vermont has the 14th highest seven-day average case rate of any state. The data shows us that the current plan is not working.”
While providing detail of growing number of cases, the press release makes no mention of vaccination, including Vermont’s 89% vaccination rate among eligible recipients. No response to today’s demands has been issued yet by Gov. Scott, who in recent weeks has said the conditions are not right for another State of Emergency. He also said he believes mask mandates won’t make a single person mask up who is not already doing so.
The lawmakers’ press statement is republished verbatim below:
Press Conference: State Legislators To Call For Governor to Reinstate the State of Emergency Order
4:30 pm on Monday, October 25, 2021
ermont State House, Room 11, 115 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633
Contacts:
Representative Mari Cordes, MCordes@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 989-9267
Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, KRam@leg.state.vt.us, (802) 881-4433
What: Members of the Vermont House and Senate will be joined by education and medical professionals to discuss the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 and call for the Governor to reinstate the State of Emergency order.
Who: Representatives Mari Cordes, Erin Brady, Elizabeth Burrows, Kevin “Coach” Christie, Caleb Elder, Tanya Vvhovsky, Selene Colburn, Michelle Bos-Lun, Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, President/President Elect of VT School Nurses Association Becca McCray, MSN, MA, RN, NCSN, Kelly M. Landwehr, Dr. Laura McPeake, Kelly Adams and Yves Dubief of Essex, Anne Sosin, George Till, MD.
Why: The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have not subsided for our communities and the Governor’s vaccine-only approach is proving to have drastic health impacts across the state. The numbers of infections in our communities are growing and just last weekend Vermont reported a record-high single-day total of 345 cases. Our state’s approach to this virus used to be celebrated nationwide, and now the CDC reports that Vermont has the 14th highest seven-day average case rate of any state. The data shows us that the current plan is not working.
Children 0-9 currently have the highest incidence of Covid-19, with record cases in schools. Every positive case in our schools has a cascading effect on Vermont’s families, causing anxiety as they wait for test results, losing time and wages to keep a child at home, and consistent instability in our learning environments. Educators, parents, and healthcare workers are exhausted and feeling dismissed and disregarded by the Scott Administration.
State legislators, and education and health professionals, call on the Governor to step up and do his job to protect vulnerable Vermonters. It is long past time to declare a state of emergency once again. In doing so, we ask for a universal indoor mask mandate, increased state-funded staffing for contact tracers statewide, increased healthcare and social work staff in schools, and expansion of the GA motel voucher rules to allow all those who are unhoused during this pandemic to have safe shelter. We cannot pretend that the pandemic is over in our state; we must take action now.