Vermont Has Surge In COVID Cases Despite Having Highest Vaccination Rate In The Country

New reports have revealed that Vermont is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases despite having the highest vaccination rate in the country.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data states that nearly 72% of Vermont residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, state data that came out on Tuesday shows that Vermont also has the 12th-highest rate of new COVID-19 cases over the last week.

Mike Pieciak, commissioner of the state’s Department of Financial Regulation, released a statement saying that Vermont has seen a “significant” increase in COVID-19 cases in the past week, according to ABC News. As of Tuesday, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases rose 42%, and the statewide positivity rate also increased 30%, with the seven-day average positivity rate just under 4%. State officials confirmed that in the past week alone, the number of new cases increased by nearly 700.

“We just haven’t [previously] seen an increase in terms of that raw number of cases during the pandemic,” said Pieciak, adding that there were over 2,100 cases reported for the week in Vermont, which is one of the least-populated states in the country.- READ MORE