COVID-19: Dartmouth cases nearing 400; Vermont Law School delays start

HANOVER — Active cases of COVID-19 at Dartmouth College are approaching 400 at the end of the first week of winter term, according to the college’s online information dashboard.

As of Thursday, the total included 254 undergraduates, 62 graduate students and 59 employees.

Of those who have tested positive or who have symptoms and were awaiting results on Thursday, 217 students were in isolation on campus, while 167 people were in isolation elsewhere in the Upper Valley.

In response to the high number of cases, and as cases and hospitalizations remain high in the Upper Valley and around the country, the college has banned indoor social gatherings and dining is grab-and-go only for the first two weeks of January. But in-person academic and religious activities are continuing despite the high number of cases.

The college, which requires that students and employees get booster shots by the end of the month, has scheduled booster clinics on campus for next week.

Nearly 98% of Dartmouth students and employees have been vaccinated. The college is requiring the shots unless people have had an exemption approved.

SOUTH ROYALTON — Vermont Law School has canceled its planned first day of classes for the spring semester and will begin classes online before resuming in-person learning later this month, according to the school’s Facebook page.

Classes are canceled on Jan. 18 to allow for mandatory on-campus COVID-19 testing. Classes Jan. 19-21 will be held virtually.

In-person classes at the law school in South Royalton are set to resume on Jan. 24.

WEST LEBANON — The former JCPenney store on Route 12A will be the site of several free, walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinics this month.

In addition to being one of the state sites for Saturday’s Booster Blitz, the Public Health Council of the Upper Valley will host COVID-19 vaccinations for people 5 and older and boosters for people 16 and older later this month.

The clinics will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday next week, as well as Jan. 17, 18, 20, 25, and 27. No appointments are required.

The clinic on Jan. 17 will be run by the state of New Hampshire, but it will run in the same way and for the same hours.

STRAFFORD — The Strafford town clerk has restricted access to the town offices this month amid the surge of COVID-19 cases and as Town Meeting approaches.

In a post on Strafford’s Listserv, Town Clerk Lisa Bragg said that access to the town offices would be limited to four people at a time during the month of January.

People can call 802-765-4411 to schedule appointments, which are available Monday-Wednesday from 1-3:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Nora Doyle-Burr can be reached at ndoyleburr@vnews.com or 603-727-3213.