MONTPELIER — Vermont’s top health official says the state will continue to recommend masking on public transportation after a federal judge in Florida struck down the federal travel mask mandate.
According to data provided by the state Tuesday, Vermont has seen its seven-day average for cases increase 27%, from 201 cases per day to 256 per day over the last week. The state saw 428 more cases this past week when compared to the week prior.
Hospitalizations increased in the past week. There were 40 people hospitalized with the virus Tuesday, compared to 35 people a week ago. There were two people in the intensive-care unit Tuesday, compared to six last week.
Five people have died this month from the virus as of April 19.
At Gov. Phil Scott’s regular news conference Tuesday, Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said the increase in virus activity the state is seeing continues to be on a much smaller scale than the surge caused by the omicron variant earlier this year. Levine said with the state’s highly vaccinated population and the milder nature of the BA.2 variant now circulating, most residents aren’t experiencing severe impacts from the virus.
“While this pandemic is, unfortunately, still not over, we can live our lives more normally because the overall risk from the virus is lower for many Vermonters,” Levine said.
He noted, though, that the overall risk is different than an individual’s risk. Levine said what a resident considers safe or low-risk depends on their own circumstances. He said those at higher risk may want to take more precautions, including wearing a mask indoors around others.
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida struck down the federal travel mask mandate. The judge ruled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had exceeded their authority in implementing the mandate that required masking while traveling on airplanes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation.
Levine said the decision made by the judge was done on legal and procedural grounds and was not based on public health. He said the CDC had just extended the mask mandate citing the rise in cases from BA.2.
“While multiple airlines and Amtrak have already stopped requiring masks, this does not change our current guidance which is in agreement with the CDC’s guidance: that people continue to wear a mask in indoor public transportation settings. But this is a recommendation and not a mandate,” he said.
The state hasn’t had any restrictions in place since the governor did away with his state of emergency declaration in June 2021.
Levine said the state will await word from the Biden administration about what it plans to do after the judge’s ruling.
eric.blaisdell
@timesargus.com
