Vermont has reported an increase in Covid-19 outbreaks in seven long-term care facilities and one school following Thanksgiving, although overall Covid levels in the state remain low. The long-term care outbreaks resulted in 17 cases among residents and 21 cases among staff, but no hospitalizations. The Lake Champlain Waldorf School closed its lower grades after nine faculty members tested positive for Covid. Vermont's Covid situation is described as mixed, with some metrics showing elevated levels compared to the summer. The state reported 41 hospital admissions and eight additional Covid deaths in the past week. Flu activity remains minimal, and 17% of Vermonters are up to date on the Covid vaccine.
Over 100 long-term care homes in Quebec are currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, with Maimonides Geriatric Centre being one of the facilities affected. Concerns have been raised about the lack of mandatory mask-wearing throughout the entire facility and the absence of COVID-19 booster shots for many seniors. While masks are only required on floors with outbreaks, experts suggest that masks should be worn in all long-term care homes. The fall flu and COVID-19 vaccination campaign is set to begin later this week in all long-term care centers.
Los Angeles County is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 outbreaks, particularly in nursing homes, schools, and workplaces. The number of new outbreaks in nursing homes is unusually high, while schools are also reporting a significant number of investigations. Workplaces, including those in the entertainment industry, are also seeing an uptick in outbreaks. Hospitalizations have doubled since early August, but remain below previous peaks. Although there hasn't been a corresponding increase in deaths, rising infections could potentially lead to more fatalities. The proportion of COVID-19 deaths in L.A. County is currently half of what it was last year. Wastewater levels indicate a rise in coronavirus transmission, but still far below previous surges. Officials are monitoring a new subvariant, Pirola, which has more mutations and may be more capable of causing infection in vaccinated individuals. Masking and vaccination are encouraged to mitigate the spread of the virus.
