CDC data shows Vermont is close but is still short of 80% vaccination goal

Over the weekend, Gov. Phil Scott tweeted graphics of Vermont’s high vaccine rate, sharing his excitement with how close the state was to his 80% vaccinated goal for reopening.

On Tuesday, officials walked back those numbers, saying federal data had slightly overreported the rate of eligible Vermonters who have received at least one dose. Instead, the state stands at 76.9% — still close to the 80% threshold that would trigger a massive relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.

“Even with this adjustment, our goal from Friday has been reduced by approximately 10,000 Vermonters,” said Mike Smith, secretary of the Agency of Human Services. 

“This is exciting,” he said of approaching the 80 percent goal, “but there is still much work to do.”

Vermont needs to reach an additional 17,250 people to hit 80%, Smith said. 

According to data from a state report, about 0.5% of the population is starting vaccination each day. Scott believes that Vermont could hit the 80% target as soon as Memorial Day if it has “good days,” but next week is more likely.

“Hitting 80% of the eligible population, which is over 70% of the total population, will be an incredible achievement,” Scott said.

Dr. Mark Levine, the state health commissioner, said Vermont continues to make “truly amazing strides” in its vaccination pace. “We all welcome being able to do all the things we live in a way that looks normal again,” he said.

Referring to the coming Memorial Day weekend, Levine said, “throughout this pandemic, I’ve usually shared guidance on what we shouldn’t do for the holidays. … But this time, I’d like to celebrate for a moment, all the things we can do again, thanks to the vaccine.

“You can get together with friends and family, most likely without masks and distancing, if you’re fully vaccinated,” he said. “You can grill, swim, boat. … You can go to a farmers market or concert or car race or a baseball game. You can travel without having to get tested.”

At the same time, Levine urged understanding when Vermonters may be asked to wear a mask at businesses or around people who have health conditions that could affect their immune systems.

The state has expanded its list of walk-in clinic options in recent weeks, including school clinics, Smith said. More clinics are planned at mobile home parks, at state parks and at Jazzfest in Burlington, among others.

Organizations with 100 or more employees can now ask Vermont to host a vaccine clinic at their worksite, and all businesses can ask Vermont to hold a clinic at an event, Smith said.

As vaccination rates rise, Covid-19 cases are falling. Vermont reported nine cases of the virus Tuesday, one of the lowest one-day totals in months.

The average daily case count has been steadily dropping and is down about 39% from last week, said Michael Pieciak, head of the Department of Financial Regulation.

There were no deaths from Covid-19 in the past week, and Vermont is in its longest streak of zero deaths since the fall coronavirus surge began. Hospitalizations are declining as well, down to 10 people currently hospitalized, Levine said.

Colleges ended their spring semester with 1,167 total cases of the virus, up from 238 cases last fall, Pieciak said. But statewide cases rose, too, so the college percentage of all Vermont cases remained roughly the same: 9.4% this semester versus 10.1% last semester.

Vermont politicking 

• Scott said the state budget passed by the Legislature is still undergoing legal review and has not yet reached his desk, but he said he “hasn’t seen any issues with it.”

• His biggest disappointment with this legislative session was the lack of progress on Act 250 reform, which didn’t get out of the gate. “It’s going to be a bottleneck, has been a bottleneck and will continue to be a bottleneck unless we address this 50-year-old law that needs to be updated,” he said.

• Asked if he would like to see U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy run for reelection next year, Scott simply said, “Yes.”