Crucially, state officials also closed restaurants and bars before St. Patrick’s Day — typically a day of revelry in New England — after watching the deadly virus spread in the Seattle area. Vermont struggled at first with outbreaks at some nursing homes, which state health officials say account for approximately half the state’s deaths. Vermont is a mostly liberal state that “marches to its own drummer,” as Brookline Town Clerk Gaetano “Guy” Tanza put it. Officials said infection data and traffic patterns showed that most Vermont residents stayed home — a decision they said undoubtedly saved lives. But officials say the state is in a strong position to fight the virus because it did not overwhelm the health care system.

Source: Washington Post June 18, 2020 22:30 UTC