By MRVCares
We’re fortunate to live in a state that has done well in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, where government leaders and Vermonters have joined in a common cause. Yet, we need to recognize that the progress we’ve made is fragile. Around the nation, we see in many states that initially contained COVID rates have surged. For a while these were in faraway states like Florida, Arizona and Texas. Now these are in states closer to Vermont. Last week there was a 21% rise in cases in Washington, DC, a 23% increase in Indiana. While rates are steady in neighboring Massachusetts, an average of 350 new cases per day were reported over the past seven days.
We know that epidemiologists predict that the reopening of schools will trigger new spread. We know that travelers are the vehicles for transmission among states. Soon Vermont will experience students returning from around the country to universities and colleges. And there is foliage season. The seasons will change necessitating more time indoors. Dr. Michael Osterholm, the highly-regarded director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, put it this way: “With many schools and colleges starting, stores and businesses reopening and the beginning of the indoor heating season, new case numbers will grow quickly.”
A group of residents has come together in the Mad River Valley to fortify our fragile progress. We call this grassroots effort “MRVCares” and wrote this statement to communicate the need, our hopes, our call to action.
The Mad River Valley is sweet, Grade A Vermont, where the spirit of helping is alive and well. Through fire, storm and disaster, locals and visitors alike have cared for this community. Now COVID-19 threatens us all -- neighbors, friends, family and visitors. It wants to make us sick, ruin our businesses, close our schools, take our vulnerable -- and imperil our future. Together, we’re winning the battle. But it’s not over.
With just a little help, we can beat COVID.
Wear masks. Social distance. Share kindness, not COVID.
We invite you to take action, do what you can to keep The Valley safe from COVID for our neighbors and those who visit. These actions – like wearing a mask, maintaining a safe distance from others, encouraging others to do likewise, sharing stories about what you are doing to prevent transmission and protect those at most risk, providing face coverings to those who need them – all matter and when added up make a real difference. We have witnessed countless examples of such community-spirited actions since the pandemic struck this spring. This makes us hopeful that even more can be done and more Valley residents, visitors, business owners will join this grassroots movement to keep COVID at bay.
If you would like to learn more about the beginning plans of MRVCares, tell us what you have already done or have some ideas for keeping The Valley safe from COVID, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you. Send an email to
One of our first events will be a COVID prevention community education forum. It will feature guidance and insights from local medical, nursing and public health professionals. Details will be announced soon.
You’ll be hearing from us as more plans for MRVCares unfold.
Wear masks. Social distance. Share kindness, not COVID.
Your Valley neighbors,
Amy Jamieson, speech and language therapist
Jon Jamieson, business person
Lauren Kaskey, public health professional
Claire Lindberg, nurse educator and nurse practitioner
Curt Lindberg, health care improvement professional
