ECRWSS PRSRT STD US Postage
PAID
Permit #15 Williston,VT 05495 POSTAL CUSTOMER
APRIL 2, 2020
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Williston physicians accepting new patients By Jason Starr Observer staff
The first thing to do, according to health officials, if you feel symptoms consistent with COVID-19, is to contact your primary care provider about potentially being tested for the virus. That assumes, of course, that you have a primary care provider. Dr. Paul Reiss, who practices at Evergreen Family Health on Park Avenue in Williston, recognizes that not everyone has an established relationship with a doctor. “Primary care doctors are in short supply,” he said. “A lot of people don’t have someone to call.” His practice, along with another longtime doctor office in Williston, the Thomas Chittenden Health Center on Oak Hill Road, are opening their schedules to new patients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because the offices are closed for routine visits, they now have more room in their schedules to take on new patients. Both offices have shifted to telehealth — remote visits using voice and video calls — and are using those to evaluate patients for coronavirus testing, as well as address other medical issues or injuries. People without an established relationship with a doctor often go to urgent care facilities or hospital emergency rooms when they have health issues, Reiss said. Health officials are trying to keep people out of those areas, to keep the state’s health care system from being overwhelmed, and to keep patients safe from unnecessary virus exposure. Patients who can be seen via phone can have medical issues addressed or be referred for coronavirus testing without entering a health care facility. “We can coordinate the testing,” Reiss said.
Not only can Evergreen coordinate testing. it is one of the only practices in Chittenden County that offers on-site, drive-through
Not only can Evergreen coordinate testing, it is one of the only practices in Chittenden County that offers on-site, drive-through COVID-19 testing. testing. Evergreen uses the out-ofstate, private lab Quest Diagnostics to test patient samples and deliver results. The practice has been
testing six days a week for about two weeks, and reporting results to the Department of Health. “We’ve had quite a few positives already,” said Reiss. Statewide, the number of COVID cases has grown to 293 as of midday Tuesday. Reiss said his practice has the proper protective equipment for health care workers, which is why it can offer the service when most practices aren’t able to. “We have staff who are trained and can do it,” he said. The state is opening more testing sites and has relaxed earlier restrictions that only health care workers and people at higher risk because of underlying health conditions would be prioritized for testing. As of last Friday, doctors are able to refer people with mild to moderate symptoms for testing. “The more you test, the more you can control this,” said Reiss. That echoes Health Commissioner Mark Levine’s message
from earlier this week. “Early and broad testing is a proven strategy to limit the spread of this virus,” Levine said. “Vermont is still early enough on the curve of positive cases that increased testing can have a large impact on our ability to flatten that curve.” Increased testing will allow for more people to know the care they need and what precautions to take, and for greater understanding of the scope of the disease’s spread in Vermont, Levine added. “Our overall strategy is to test, to counsel and isolate those who test positive, conduct contact tracing, and quarantine as clinically appropriate,” he continued. “We are all counting on each other to do everything we can to meet this public health crisis head on.” Evergreen Health can be reached at 878-1001. The Thomas Chittenden Health Center can be reached at 878-8131.
Lake Iroquois homeowners pursue herbicide treatment New chemical shows promise in milfoil control By Jason Starr Observer staff
Lake Iroquois homeowners are hopeful that a chemical approved for use in Vermont last year will help control a perennial infestation of Eurasian milfoil in the lake. The Lake Iroquois Association (LIA) and the Lake Iroquois Recreation District (LIRD) partnered in March to submit an application to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to pour
a product called ProcellaCOR into about 40 acres on the Williston (north) side of the lake. The herbicide would be a new step in ongoing milfoil control efforts that have included diver-assisted removal, lake-bottom barriers and a staffed boat wash station. The milfoil infestation has worsened in recent summers, dampening recreational use of the lake. The number of season passes sold for use of the beach on the north side — owned and maintained by the LIRD — has dropped precipitously since peaking in 2016. Milfoil has also choked the state fishing and boating access on the
northwest side. According to the LIA, milfoil is now the most common plant found in the lake and is so dense in some areas that boats can’t navigate through it. Non-chemical mitigation efforts have not been sufficient to control the infestation, an LIA press release about the ProcellaCOR application states. Complete application documents are posted to the association’s website (www. lakeiroquois.org). The association was denied an herbicide permit in 2018 for a chemical product called Sonar. Both Sonar and ProcellaCOR are see IROQUOIS page 3
Observer file photo by Pogo Senior
The milfoil infestation in Lake Iroquois has worsened in recent summers, dampening recreational use of the lake.
TAKE OUT
via online ordering... Curbside delivery.
BURGERS, BOWLS, SALADS
www.getblissbee.com ~ #getblissbee
Sunday-Friday 4-8pm; Saturday 12-8pm MAPLE TREE PLACE • WILLISTON