As the number of known COVID-19 cases across the Northeast continues to grow, Vermont is tightening its travel restrictions once again. The newest update to the state’s cross state travel map shows approximately 2.7 million travelers are eligible to travel to Vermont without observing a two-week quarantine. That’s the lowest number of travelers since the map was first released in early June, according to officials who manage the map with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. “There’s a 46% increase in cases this week, just from New England and New York,” said Mike Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation and Gov. Phil Scott’s point person on COVID-19 modeling.Pieciak says the in-state models that include now-spiking Quebec week-to-week cases are over 24,000, up from approximately 16,000 reported last week. Some bordering counties have changed in status this week. After several weeks of posting increased COVID-19 data, New York’s Essex and Washington counties have dropped below the 400 cases per million needed to travel across the state border freely. Travelers from Franklin County, Massachusetts, are now barred from traveling to Vermont without a quarantine. Data tracking the coronavirus continues to compare favorably to other New England states, according to state modeling. More than a month into the restart of K-12 education, less than a handful of students have tested positive for the virus. More than 98,000 tests at higher education campuses have returned just 51 positive results — a positivity rate of 0.05%. Still, Vermont’s leaders are urging continued caution among residents, especially with colder weather and an increase in indoor gatherings on the horizon. “COVID-19 spreads because it is a highly contagious virus in the air we all breathe,” said Health Commissioner Mark Levine. “As the weather turns and we spend more time inside together, taking COVID precautions is more important than ever.”A recent outbreak at a Vermont apple orchard was part of 33 new cases reported Monday, the state’s highest single-day increase in just over four months. Twenty-six apple pickers at Champlain Orchards were announced by state health officials to have tested positive on Monday. That number has since grown to 27, a change Levine attributes to a delay in test results. “At this time, the outbreak is contained to the farm and I want to emphasize there is no known risk to the public,” he said. According to State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso, contact tracing surrounding the outbreak has been completed. Multiple state leaders have stressed that any apples grown in the region are still safe to eat and those who participated in apple picking at the orchards in recent weeks were not at risk for exposure.

As the number of known COVID-19 cases across the Northeast continues to grow, Vermont is tightening its travel restrictions once again.

The newest update to the state’s cross state travel map shows approximately 2.7 million travelers are eligible to travel to Vermont without observing a two-week quarantine. That’s the lowest number of travelers since the map was first released in early June, according to officials who manage the map with the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

“There’s a 46% increase in cases this week, just from New England and New York,” said Mike Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation and Gov. Phil Scott’s point person on COVID-19 modeling.

Pieciak says the in-state models that include now-spiking Quebec week-to-week cases are over 24,000, up from approximately 16,000 reported last week.

Some bordering counties have changed in status this week. After several weeks of posting increased COVID-19 data, New York’s Essex and Washington counties have dropped below the 400 cases per million needed to travel across the state border freely.

Travelers from Franklin County, Massachusetts, are now barred from traveling to Vermont without a quarantine.

Data tracking the coronavirus continues to compare favorably to other New England states, according to state modeling.

More than a month into the restart of K-12 education, less than a handful of students have tested positive for the virus. More than 98,000 tests at higher education campuses have returned just 51 positive results — a positivity rate of 0.05%.

Still, Vermont’s leaders are urging continued caution among residents, especially with colder weather and an increase in indoor gatherings on the horizon.

“COVID-19 spreads because it is a highly contagious virus in the air we all breathe,” said Health Commissioner Mark Levine. “As the weather turns and we spend more time inside together, taking COVID precautions is more important than ever.”

A recent outbreak at a Vermont apple orchard was part of 33 new cases reported Monday, the state’s highest single-day increase in just over four months.

Twenty-six apple pickers at Champlain Orchards were announced by state health officials to have tested positive on Monday. That number has since grown to 27, a change Levine attributes to a delay in test results.

“At this time, the outbreak is contained to the farm and I want to emphasize there is no known risk to the public,” he said.

According to State Epidemiologist Patsy Kelso, contact tracing surrounding the outbreak has been completed.

Multiple state leaders have stressed that any apples grown in the region are still safe to eat and those who participated in apple picking at the orchards in recent weeks were not at risk for exposure.

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