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COVID-19 Daily Update

May 17, 2021

New or updated information is in red and bold

This update is available online at healthvermont.gov/covid19

Click the “See the Daily Update” button

Vermont Honors its Emergency Medical Service Responders

Throughout Vermont, more than 100,000 requests for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) response are answered on an annual basis. Add to that the unprecedented challenges required of the state’s individual emergency responders and 168 licensed ambulance and first responder services during the pandemic, and you come up with 2,800 of our fellow Vermonters who deserve every moment of the EMS Week recognition that started on Sunday.

Governor Phil Scott officially kicked off this year’s celebration with a proclamation declaring May 16 - 22, 2021 as EMS Week.

Governor Scott asks all Vermonters to show their appreciation for their work and sacrifice of our emergency responders by getting their COVID-19 vaccination. More than 30 EMS-lead vaccination clinics are being scheduled statewide this weekend, May 21-23.

Clinics will offer Johnson & Johnson vaccine, for anyone 18 and older. You can walk in without an appointment. The schedule is available at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine.

You can also register for a vaccine and find the latest walk-in, mobile and pop-up clinics near you.

Read the press release or see below.

Vermont now has new guidance for mask-wearing, travel and gathering

As of May 14, based on updated CDC guidance and Vermont’s progress in vaccination, Vermont has new guidance around mask-wearing, cross-state travel and gathering sizes.

MASKS

People who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear a mask or maintain a 6-foot distance from others. There are some exceptions, including in schools, on public transportation, and in healthcare settings, long term care facilities and correctional facilities. Fully vaccinated means 14 days have passed since your final shot.

Anyone who is not vaccinated, or is partially vaccinated, including children must follow the current mask requirements.

TRAVEL

Travel to and from Vermont no longer requires testing or quarantine. (Rules for visitors from other countries are different. Learn more about international travel.)

GATHERING

For indoor gatherings, there can be one unvaccinated person per 50 square feet up to 300 unvaccinated people (whichever is less), plus any number of fully vaccinated people.

For outdoor gatherings, there can be 900 unvaccinated people, plus any number of fully vaccinated people.

Read the May 14 press release.

Walk-in vaccine opportunities now available

Looking to walk in to a vaccine clinic without an appointment? You can! Check out the latest opportunities on our website: healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine and follow our social media feeds @healthvermont to stay up to date.

Remember that a clinic’s vaccine supply for walk-ins is limited, so the best way to guarantee your vaccination is to make an appointment through our website.

COVID-19 testing is important and available right near you

COVID-19 is a highly transmissible virus. Getting tested is not just the only way to know if you have the virus, it’s also how we protect our loved ones and our communities.

And if you have any symptom, no matter how mild, such as a headache, cough, fatigue or a runny nose, talk to your health care provider to get referred for testing. It’s also important to avoid going to work, school or other places until you receive a negative result.

Even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still have COVID-19 and not feel sick. If you don’t have symptoms and want to get tested, there are many test sites now available around the state. It’s free and easy!

COVID-19 Activity in Vermont

As of 12 p.m. on May 17, 2021

Data is updated daily.

Description

 

Number

 

New cases

 

29

(23,912 total)

 

Currently hospitalized

 

11

 

Hospitalized in ICU

 

1

 

Hospitalized under investigation

 

0

 

Percent Positive (7-day average)

 

1.1%

 

People tested

 

388,848

 

Total tests

 

1,664,599

 

Total people recovered

 

22,142

 

Deaths

 

252

 

Find more data on COVID-19 Activity athealthvermont.gov/currentactivity

COVID-19 Vaccine Data

As of 12 p.m. on May 15, 2021

Data is updated Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Description

 

Number

 

Total people who have received least one dose of vaccine

 

388,314
(70.9% of 16+ population)

 

Total people who have completed vaccination

 

288,666
(52.8% of 16+ population)

 

Find more vaccine data on the COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard: healthvermont.gov/covid19-vaccine-data.

Additional Resources About Vaccination and More

Vermont Honors its Emergency Medical Service Responders

EMS Week May 16-22 highlights contribution of individuals and services to state’s pandemic response

Each year, Emergency Medical Service providers (EMS) throughout Vermont respond to more than 100,000 requests for assistance. Add to that the unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and you come up with 2,800 responders and licensed ambulance and first responder services who deserve every moment of the EMS Week recognition that started on Sunday.

Governor Phil Scott officially kicked off this year’s celebration with a proclamation declaring May 16 - 22, 2021 as EMS Week.

As part of EMS Week, the state honors several individuals and EMS agencies for their outstanding efforts and commitment to service. This year the following awards were presented:

  • Vermont EMS Lifetime Award: Neil Van Dyke, EMT, Stowe Mountain Service
  • Advanced Life Support (ALS) Provider of the Year: Rich Dana, AEMT, Richmond Rescue
  • Ambulance Service of the Year: Waterbury Ambulance
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider of the Year: Matthew Pietryka, EMT, Hardwick Emergency Rescue Squad
  • EMS Educator of the Year: Keith Hermiz, AEMT, Grafton Rescue Squad
  • EMS for Children Champions of the Year:
    • Dr. David Nelson, University of Vermont Medical Center
    • Kate Soons, AEMT, St. Michael’s College Fire and Rescue
    • AEMT Mariah Whitcomb, AEMT, Thetford Volunteer Fire Department
  • First Responder Service of the Year: Underhill Jericho Fire Department

“The challenges presented to our healthcare system in the past year have been beyond the imagination,” said Dan Batsie, the Department of Health’s director of Emergency Preparedness, Response and Injury Prevention.

“Never before has emergency medical services faced a crisis of such length and complexity,” said Batsie, “but more than demonstrating their well-established ability to get the job done under difficult circumstances, EMS proved once again how valuable they are as a true partner in public health.”

Batsie, who also serves as the Health Department’s pandemic response incident commander, applauded the women and men of Vermont EMS for standing tall in the face of crisis with courage and determination.

“From managing their own and their patients’ protection from the virus with new PPE requirements, to taking on homebound vaccination efforts, to clinic operation and staffing, our agencies have been a critical resource in Vermont’s successful management of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Batsie said. “I want every EMS provider across the state to take a moment this week to reflect upon their extraordinary accomplishments and share the pride we have in them for doing so much to keep Vermonters safe.”

Governor Scott asks all Vermonters to show their appreciation for their work and sacrifice of our emergency responders by getting their COVID-19 vaccination. More than 30 EMS-lead vaccination clinics are being scheduled statewide.

The full schedule will be available at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine, where you can also register for a vaccine and find the latest walk-in, mobile and pop-up clinics near you.

With many EMS units in Vermont made up of volunteers, the Health Department encourages people to visit OnCallforVT.org to learn more about serving their communities as an emergency medical technician or as a member of the Medical Reserve Corps.

 

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