Each of the 14 counties in Vermont is now identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having "high transmission" of COVID-19, with the latest being Addison Country. The transmission level is defined by the agency as any place with more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in the past week. Nearly 95% of counties across the nation currently carry the designation, according to CDC data. A change in the transmission level does not bring any new guidelines or restrictions into effect for residents, though federal health officials recommend any counties with "substantial" or "high" transmission implement indoor mask mandates. Gov. Phil Scott has avoided reissuing any statewide mandates since the emergence of the delta variant, moving counter to pleas from some leading Democratic legislators and Lt. Gov. Molly Gray. The governor has repeatedly expressed concerns about bringing back the state of emergency — required to issue related guidance as an executive order — and has instead pointed to high vaccination rates and independent adoption of public health guidance.Vermont is in the midst of a COVID-19 surge rivaling its most severe last winter, which state health officials have said is fueled by unvaccinated people and the more transmissible delta variant.The latest projections from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecasts, released last week, offer uncertainty for coming weeks in Vermont. Health officials said recent technical issues make it "a little unclear" which trajectory the state is on, with a compilation of 20 models showing entirely different possibilities.Scott is expected to join other state leaders for a COVID-19 briefing at noon Tuesday to provide updates on pandemic data. Vermont is among the most vaccinated states in the nation. About 87.6% of people eligible to get vaccinated, those age 12 or older, have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Roughly 78% of eligible Vermonters have received a complete series of COVID-19 vaccine doses. The state has also opened COVID-19 booster shot registration to residents age 75 and older who have received two doses of a Pfizer vaccine. Registration is available for free on the Department of Health website following an endorsement of the rollout by federal health experts.