I'm personally feeling very apprehensive about today's press conference. But I'm here for you professionally and ready to tweet as fast as I can! Do you think we'll be seeing more restrictive measures enacted today? #vtpoli
Deep sigh from the governor as he begins his remarks. "We're definitely moving in the wrong direction," he says, about the rising number of cases. "I want to be clear: we're in a new phase of this pandemic. The days of very low risk are over."
Announcing several new steps today to try to curb the spread. Says data is showing that small gatherings are a significant driver of transmission. "It's no coincidence" we're seeing these cases 12 days after people gathered for Halloween, he says. And Thanksgiving is coming.
Starting today, multi-household gatherings, whether inside or out, in public spaces or private, are prohibited. Bars & social clubs will be closed for in-person service starting tomorrow. Restaurants will be required to close at 10pm, but still allowed to have in-person service.
Restaurants, museums, gyms & other customer-facing establishments will be required to keep a log. Vermonters will now be *required* to comply with contact tracers. College students returning to VT are *required* to quarantine for 14 days, or 7 and a test, which the state prefers.
The state is now "requiring tele-work for those who can do so." And even workplaces that need to have staff in the buildings should conduct things like staff meetings etc. remotely.
Schools can continue in person. But all sports leagues are going to be paused. "Admittedly, this one is hard for me, because our kids are trying so hard. But it continues to be another avenue for gathering."
Governor Scott says he hopes the adults will take the opportunity to do better. And he thanks those who have made sacrifices to curb the spread, sometimes at great personal disappointment or hardship. Says Vermonters need to do better, and CAN do better to slow the spread.
Dr. Levine now. Yesterday's new case number is 84. He says there are currently 21 hospitalizations. And case count numbers on a rolling average continue to rise.
The positivity rate for Nov. 10 is 1.76%. And our 7-day average positivity rate is 1.28% That's still very low compared to many states, but higher than where we have been in Vermont for the last several months.
Early this week 8 new situations were identified in one day. The next day was 16. The state is now following well over 80 "situations" and 17 outbreaks.
Levine says the state's data analysis shows a rising number of gatherings. Since October 1st, 71% of the cases associated with an outbreak are associated with a private event or social gathering.
He's going to tell a story that is a composite of real events. His protagonist is named Max. Max goes to a party where there are some people. Everyone feels good and is having a good time. But what Max doesn't know is someone is sick and will become symptomatic in the next day.
Max gets the virus. But he doesn't know yet. So he goes home, hangs with his family, goes to work. This Max owns an autobody shop. "He's pretty good about wearing a mask and all that," but sometimes he and his employees take a coffee break and "talk about the Patriots."
When Max realizes he has the virus and has potentially exposed his 3 employees, he has to close the shop. "Let's talk about Nicole," Max's wife. She's a 5th grade teacher. She winds up developing a cough and gets tested, and is positive. So now her students have to quarantine.
And then there's Vanessa, their daughter, who works as an aide in a nursing home. She's been very careful about being safe, but didn't think she necessarily had to worry about elevated risk in her own home. So now there's a potentially vulnerable population at risk as well.
END SCENE. Levine says this story is not exaggerated (though I will say it's pretty gender-stereotypical! :) )
Levine says it's a good time to think about protecting others, but also about protecting ourselves, even if we think we're healthy and at low risk. Reactions to COVID-19 don't always follow expectations. "Please don't make assumptions with this disease. Take it seriously."
Levine advises people to get tested. It's an essential tool to finding COVID, he says. So if you've been in the presence of others at a small gathering, or if you have any symptoms, get tested. And avoid non-essential travel.
Also, answer any calls from the health department and be forthcoming. Contact tracing is one of the essential tools in figuring out what's happening with the virus and working to suppress the spread, Levine says.
Question time. This may be a long one.
First question is about financial support for restaurants and businesses. Scott says there's money available, but just in the hospitality sector alone, there's not nearly enough. "we need 5 to 10 times the $75 million available today."
ME: The restaurant/bar guidelines seem relatively straightforward. But I have a LOT of questions about the rules around the prohibitions on gatherings of any kind, in public or private spaces. What constitutes a gathering? How does this affect child care? Can people go for walks?
Question about enforcement. Scott admits there's no way to police people going over to someone else's house for dinner. But he's asking Vermonters to comply, to step up. To get this back under control. No enforcement system is in place, just the power of a rule.
Scott: We're seeing cases all over our country, our region and in our own state. "This has exploded. And it's coming to our doorstep." We have to do all we can to take this on and protect each other, our families and our neighbors.
Question about when the governor might further restrict movements. He says his actions are data-driven and he's going to keep an eye on things here and on our borders. Says his team meets multiple times a day and is closely following things.
"We're going to tighten the screws over the next couple of weeks," he says of people who aren't following the guidelines. Says if people follow the rules now, we'll see the benefits within a month.
Levine says a lack of focus from the federal govt means there's less politicization around some of the science surrounding masks, which means info about masks is getting out differently. Data now suggests mask-wearing protects the *wearer* as well as others around the wearer.
Question about fuel deliveries. ANR Secretary Julie Moore says there are state guidelines in place to ensure Vermonters can get heating fuel without running afoul of any state rules. Gov. Scott says he'll get a memo out to all the fuel companies to make sure they're aware.
About half of our counties would be considered red under our (suspended) state travel guidelines. Levine says that our percent positivity is a little higher, but the fact that we're testing sick people and we're still under 2%, is a good sign.
HERE'S THE OFFICIAL ADDENDUM TO THE EXECUTIVE ORDER: governor.vermont.gov/sites/scott/fi…
Q about whether or not there will be sanctions that can be traced back to small gatherings that occur in violation of the governor's order. He says there are no sanctions in place, and it sounds like partly that's because he REALLY wants people to be honest with contact tracers.
Says the state will keep an eye on things and if there are a lot of violations they'll reconsider. Public Safety Commissioner Schirling reminds everyone that state officials start compliance checks at local businesses today.
AHS Secretary Smith says there have been problems getting tracing info to a greater degree lately. Specifically from one of the Halloween parties (presumably one of the ones in Marshfield and Milton that the state is asking people who attended to get tested). 1/
Says people have not responded to tracers or in some cases haven't been truthful. That's one of the reason the new order compels people to talk to contact tracers and to be honest about their movements/actions.
Question about music education guidelines that don't allow students to sing/play indoors even if they can follow distancing guidelines and/or wear masks and if this is a higher standard than sports teams are held to.
Ed Sec. French says each activity is looked at separately and research shows that it's challenging to accommodate music education. Says his team has been struggling with finding any way to allow it (indoors).
Question about whether we're catching more cases with the same level of virus, or more cases and that's why we're seeing the rise. Levine says "there clearly is more virus present in our communities."
Says more virus has been coming into our state from places where prevalence was higher, so it makes sense we're seeing more of it. But he doesn't want Vermonters to think it wasn't here to begin with; we never extirpated it.
Says there are more opportunities for transmission now, because of gatherings and more indoor activities. So the virus is spreading within our borders more now too.
Question about businesses that are not applying to the hazard pay program that could benefit their essential employees. Scott says he's been talking with some large employers to get them to apply. Hopes they will. (The deadline is today.)
Question about whether the sports league closure affects bowling alleys (not the question I was expecting on the sports issue). Scott says he believes so.
On the gathering ban, @lseconnors asks for help in how people should think of this. Should they think of this like the shutdown order from March, in terms of their personal behavior, but then still go to school/gym/restaurant/work? What about their quarantine pods?
@lseconnors Scott says people should NOT socialize with others. Don't go out for a walk with your friend. Don't interact socially with your neighbor. Don't see your "quarantine pod" families--just be in the presence of your own household members.
@lseconnors Scott says gyms, restaurants etc. are structured environments, so they have more precautions in place than social groups have been putting in place in their own personal spaces.
@lseconnors Dr. Levine says "everything is laid out very clearly," which I'm not sure all Vermonters will agree with.
He seems to be saying that the structured environments (including schools) appear to be safer, from of transmission statistics, than small gatherings at this point.
He seems to be saying that the structured environments (including schools) appear to be safer, from of transmission statistics, than small gatherings at this point.
And yes, deer camp applies when it comes to not gathering with people in your household, Scott says.
I'm trying to look through the official statement as we go through this. Here's a clarifying line that hasn't been mentioned yet in the press conference: "Individuals who live alone may gather with members of their immediate family residing in a different household."
Scott is asked to speak about Thanksgiving and if people should not plan ANY gatherings. He says yes, DON'T do Thanksgiving with anyone other than your household. Says he hasn't seen his mom or his out-of-state daughter in nearly a year, knows this is a sacrifice.
Dr. Levine cautions people that just because we do this now doesn't mean we'll see an immediate reduction in cases, because of the way the virus spreads. The reduction will lag these actions.
.@PeteHirschfeld asks if people can quarantine and then visit family/friends or visit with others and THEN quarantine. Gov. Scott says that is not something the state is encouraging. They do not want that.
@PeteHirschfeld But if people are perhaps already gathering now, as the order goes into effect, they should be prepared to quarantine afterwards to keep others safe.
Another bowling alley question. In case you're wondering: bowling alleys are allowed to stay open, but you can only bowl with members of your own household. But you can't bowl with others, including league members.
ME: Remember back in the late spring when we kept hearing all those reporter questions about whether/when golf courses would be allowed to reopen? Bowling is the new golf!!
Another question about how/why this guideline makes sense--why someone can't go for a walk with your neighbor but you can go out to dinner. Scott says restaurants are structured, but a walk with your neighbor is not.
Here's my take on this: It's all about risk reduction and broad population-based guidelines to try to address this issue. So yes, YOU may walk 6 feet apart with your neighbor while you both wear masks. You're probably doing the right thing, but 1/
...while the state can put parameters around restaurants, salons, gyms, etc. the state can't control each individual interaction, so they're trying to make a broad rule to address where they see that the spread IS occurring. 2/
Each of us as individuals now gets to make a choice about whether and to what degree we want to comply with this rule. He's already said there's no compliance mechanism; they're not going to spy on people's homes. 3/
So you get to make the choice about whether you want to gather with your trusted household, which is not allowed but will really be up to you. But the state is trying to reduce the amount that is happening, because that's where they're seeing the spread. 4/
Dr. Levine just said the state is trying to balance three priorities: "Keep people at work, keep kids at school, and keep people safe from severe illness." So I guess we'll see how much this leads to compliance and to case reduction or if further shutdowns are warranted. 5/5
Ed. Secretary French reconfirms that there is no plan for schools to go remote during the holiday season as any kind of preemptive measure.
On the question of why people can't continue to gather with trusted households, Dr. Levine says "it's hard to be a trusted household in an environment where the virus is prevalent in your community."
(Which suggests to me that the Health Department is quite concerned about the level of community spread throughout Vermont.)
Press conference is over (and so is our on-air analysis) so I just want to add a few notes from what I'm reading in the official addendum, which you can find in full here: governor.vermont.gov/content/addend…
On recreational sports: "All recreational sports programs, including organized and/or informal recreational youth and adult league sports, practices, games and tournaments, are hereby suspended." 1/2
Sports continued: "This suspension shall not apply to school-sponsored sports activities which are subject to applicable Agency of Education Guidance." 2/2
On college students returning home, note that the quarantine rules apply to students returning from IN-STATE schools as well now: "All students who are returning home from a college or university, in-state or out of state, shall quarantine at home for fourteen days," 1/2
college students continued: "with a test for COVID-19 strongly encouraged, or quarantine for no less than seven (7) days at which time they must be tested for COVID-19."
Telework: "All businesses, not-for-profit entities and municipal government entities in the State shall reinstitute, to the maximum extent possible, or reemphasize to the extent necessary, telecommuting or work from home procedures." 1/2
Telework continued: "In person meetings are strongly discouraged and all meetings
should be held by telephone or electronically to avoid in person meetings whenever possible." 2/2
should be held by telephone or electronically to avoid in person meetings whenever possible." 2/2
This order is part of the extension of the state of emergency. It goes into effect tomorrow (Saturday), November 14th at 10pm and remains in effect until midnight on December 15th, unless extended by the governor.
Let me just conclude with a question: how can @vprnet and, in particular, @vermontedition (and I), help? Are there programs you'd like to hear that would make you feel more connected? Is there information you're not getting that you need? 1/2
@vprnet @vermontedition Following these rules, if you plan to do so, is going to be really hard for some people. I see you. I share the sadness of not being able to be with, or care for, people you love.
@vprnet @vermontedition I know that for some people, being with other households is crucial to your survival--for mental health, for employment, for keeping relationships strong and/or for helping your children cope. I know this is painful and confusing, sad, sometimes rage-inducing.
@vprnet @vermontedition It probably isn't much, but know that you're not alone. And if you have ideas for we can help each other out, let me know. Let's try to find kindness and lean on one another for virtual support. END THREAD.
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