Vermonter over 70 can book vaccinations from Tuesday

Officials said at a press conference on Friday that Vermonter over the age of 70 would be able to book a Covid-19 vaccine starting February 16.

According to Human Services Secretary Mike Smith, these vermonters, with about 33,000 people, form the next group of state age-restriction strategies, prioritizing older people. The state then moves to people over the age of 65, followed by high-risk Vermonter.

Anyone can create a Ministry of Health account websiteFrom now on, in preparation for the registration process, he said. Vermonter over the age of 70 can register a reservation online or by calling the designated telephone line from 8:15 am on Tuesday.

Vermonter also Walgreens, Receives individual vaccine assignments from the federal government.

According to Smith, about 38% of people over the age of 75 receive their first dose of the vaccine through the current process. This includes 538 home-based Vermonters receiving doses through local home care institutions and emergency medical services.

In total, 12.5% ​​of Vermonter over the age of 16 have been vaccinated at least for the first time, with 37,200 started and 32,600 completed. According to the department..

Governor Phil Scott reiterated his defense of the age-restriction process, saying that Vermont allowed the process to go smoothly compared to its broader category-qualified neighbors. “Just saying people are eligible doesn’t mean they actually have the dose to cover them,” Scott said.

“That’s why I’ve seen other states cancel appointments that are probably months ahead, even in the 70’s and 80’s,” he said. “Here at Vermont, we have taken a different approach to setting realistic expectations based on the supply we plan to receive.”

The music program will restart

The state will resume school music programs next week as school sports games resume, officials said at a press conference on Friday.

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Music programs have some new restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. The performer must be at a distance of 6 feet around, and the instrumentalist must wear a slit mask while playing. The rehearsal is limited to 30 minutes and the performance cannot include a direct audience. ..

Secretary of Education Dan French said music is a “more challenging” area as authorities have considered resuming school activities. However, due to the small number of cases, they are confident in their ability to do so.

“Some of our limitations … show that a lot is involved with instruments that function differently in terms of aerosol production. For example, flutes are much safer than oboe,” he says. I did. “Therefore, music mitigation measures are relatively complicated.”

He said the song would also be included in the new guidance. Authorities are still considering ways to reopen theater and performing arts.

“When we are thinking of moving into the recovery phase of education, enabling these types of activities has become an important strategy for addressing the social and emotional needs of our students, and we It helps to restore the normality of life, “he says. Said.

Incident occurs in Franklin

Franklin County set a new record of 36 cases per day on Friday as the state suffers from a surge in multiple cases, according to health ministry data.

The state reported 162 cases on Friday, up from 126 cases the day before. The state did not report any new deaths, bringing the total to 189.

Forty-seven people, including 11 in the ICU, have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the hospital, a slight decrease from nearly 60 days before admission.

Health commissioner Mark Levine said Franklin, Bennington and Rutland counties were suffering from the virus, but their cases were not due to an outbreak. Instead, most come from intra-household and inter-household community infections.

He also mentioned the announcement of the discovery of the Covid B117 mutant in Burlington wastewater, stating that it would need to be confirmed by genomic sequencing of positive cases to confirm that it was truly found in Vermont. It was.

Increased infectivity of the variant could lead to an increase in cases, which would increase hospitalization and mortality, Levine said. But at this point, he said, no additional restrictions or guidance are needed.

He said a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that double masking or more stringent masking could significantly limit the spread of the virus. “If you’re concerned about the fit of your mask, or if you want more protection from a tight fit, it might be worth a try,” he said.

The CDC also recently said that those who have been vaccinated with both vaccines within the last three months and who have no symptoms do not need to be quarantined if exposed to a case of Covid.

“This is really great news and shows that we believe that vaccination not only protects you from 90 days of infection, but also cannot spread the virus,” he said.

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