Republican Gov. Phil Scott on Friday extended Vermont’s coronavirus-related state of emergency to Oct. 15 and, on the 19th anniversary of 9/11, said the unity, determination and resolve the country found following the terrorists attack is needed now amid the pandemic.
“Because our country desperately needs to find that unity again,” he said during his regular virus briefing. “We need to harness the same care and compassion that allowed us to move forward then in order to get us through the deadly emergency we face today.”
The state’s ability to continually move forward and not have to take steps back amid the pandemic has been incredible, particularly when considering what’s happening in other parts of the country, Scott said.
“Vermonters should be proud. You’ve stepped up, put on a mask, been smart about keeping your distance and limited the number of people you connect with,” he said, adding that Vermonters also found ways to work and vacation from home. “And importantly, you’ve pulled in the same direction to protect our neighbors and show how much you care about each other,” he said.
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COLLEGES RESTART
More than 40,000 students are at Vermont college campuses this fall and no student is currently still in quarantine or isolation after arriving, said former Norwich University President Richard Schneider, who chairs a state task force that developed the college guidance.
Some students were found to be infected, and they were identified, and state did “unbelievable” contract tracing, he said. As of Sept. 10, more than 42,100 tests have been administered to college students in Vermont, resulting in 38 positive tests, the state said.
The low positivity rate is because of measures put in place by the restart team for the colleges and universities that made sure students “were tested either before they came here or quarantined before they came here or once they got here were tested,” the governor said.
Colleges and universities have reduced the size of classes, had everyone sign a health contract and there are no large gatherings, parents’ weekends or homecomings, which will hurt the economy somewhat, Schneider said.
Mainly, the students are being “unbelievably compliant and actually much better than I had ever hoped for. Everyone is committed to keeping our colleges safe and our communities safe,” he said.
“The real challenge now for all of us is phase two, to keep them uninfected,” Schneider said.
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THE NUMBERS
Vermont reported eight new cases of the coronavirus for a total of 1,668 since the pandemic began. One person was hospitalized with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The total number of deaths has remained at 58 for over a month.
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