Vermont health officials said Friday they are expecting more positive cases of the novel coronavirus as testing continues in the city of Winooski, where 34 cases have already been confirmed.
Speaking alongside city officials, Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said Friday 93 lab tests remain pending and additional tests are being conducted.
“Really, the only way to stop an outbreak is to do it together,” Levine said during an outdoor news conference in Winooski Friday morning. “Every single person is needed to keep this disease from spreading.”
Vermont has had a low number of new virus cases, and while the 34 new cases reported Thursday was the largest-single day increase in weeks, health officials have been expecting outbreaks.
The plan is to contain the outbreaks with aggressive testing for the virus and working to ensure it doesn’t continue to spread.
Winooski, with a population of about 7,300 in 1.4 square miles, is considered one of Vermont’s most diverse and densely populated communities that is home to many non-English speakers.
“So far, the cases are confined to one social-network of families,” Gov. Phil Scott said later Friday at his regular COVID-19 briefing.
The cases are spread throughout the city and officials are working to ensure the immigrant communities have the information they need , other officials said.
City and state officials are working to ensure that everyone is aware of what is needed to confront the outbreak.
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REOPENING
Despite the Winooski cluster of cases, Scott and others said the number of new cases being reported in the state remains low and it wouldn’t change the state’s reopening plans.
Scott outlined plans to allow indoor dining at restaurants and bars to resume Monday. The establishments will be allowed to reopen at 25% capacity, parties must remain at least six feet apart and reservations will be required
“I know we still have a very long way to go to help our restaurants get back on their feet,” Scott said. “I know they can’t make it on 25% capacity, but we’ve got to start somewhere.”
The state will also begin allowing visitors from New York and the other New England states to visit Vermont without quarantining for two weeks if they come from any of 55 counties in the region that have virus infection rates of less than 400 per million residents.
The new rules will also allow Vermonters to travel to those areas and return without having to quarantine.
The state is also increasing the lodging capacity to 50%, including campgrounds.
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THE NUMBERS
On Friday, the Vermont Department of Health reported two two new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 for a total of just under 1,030 cases. The number of deaths remained at 55.
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