Scott announces small changes to gathering, restaurant rules
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Friday announced some small changes to restrictions on social gatherings and restaurant rules amid the pandemic.
As of Friday, two non-vaccinated households may gather together, and that pairing doesn’t have to be the same each time, as earlier restrictions required, he said at his twice weekly virus briefing.
An example is that children can again have playdates, “which we know have been sorely missed and will be good for the mental health and emotional well-being of the kids as well as parents,” he said.
Also starting Friday, restaurants are allowed to seat six people at a table from different families, rather than from just one household as was previously required, he said.
“Of course, masking, distancing and every other guideline remains in place,” he said.
Vermont has taken one of the most cautious approaches in the country to slow the spread of the coronavirus and reduce deaths and hospitalizations, Scott said, adding that he knows it has caused a lot of frustration.
“I hear from people everyday who think we should be moving faster to reopen like some other states have,” he said. “But I want to remind Vermonters there’s a reason we have the lowest number of deaths in the country and the lowest death rate in the continental U.S.”
The Republican said he believes Vermont will be able to meet or exceed President Joe Biden’s pledge to make all adults eligible for vaccines by May 1. He pointed out that Biden’s timeline is for eligibility — not necessarily for people to actual get their shots.
“I want Vermonters to know: If the federal government delivers the supply, we’ll more than deliver on the president’s eligibility goal,” Scott said.
In other pandemic-related news:
CONGRESS-SAFETY NET
The $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden “might well be the most consequential piece of legislation to impact the lives of working people in many, many decades,” Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said Friday.
Speaking during the governor’s virus briefing by video conferencing, Sanders said he will never forget the hundreds of cars lined up to get emergency food in Vermont amid the pandemic.
“People are hurting and they need help and probably the fastest way to alleviate that financial burden is get money directly into the hands of families,” the independent senator said.
The measure gives many Americans up to $1,400 in direct payments, extends emergency unemployment benefits to early September and expands tax credits for children. It also includes nearly a tripling of funding for summer and after-school programs, Sanders said. A total of $152 million also will be coming to Vermont for rent and utility relief and $50 for mortgage assistance, he said.
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MASK MANDATE-TRIAL
A Vermont judge on Friday upheld the state’s mask mandate after it was challenged by the owner of a Newport store who refused to comply.
In the Friday ruling, Superior Court Judge Mary Miles Teachout found that Derby Port Press and its owner, Andre Desautels, violated state rules designed to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 by not wearing a mask in the store when in the presence of others. The store offers printing services and until recently, was also a pickup spot for packages.
Last month, United Parcel Service Inc. severed its relationship with Desautels’ store, saying it refused to comply with the company’s uniform policy, which includes wearing masks.
Desautels had argued the mask mandate was unconstitutional.
At a hearing earlier this week, Desautels’ attorney, Deborah Bucknam, described the governor’s orders under his emergency management authority as “fairly draconian.”
“I think her decision is wrong,” Bucknam said Friday of Teachout’s ruling. “We are discussing an appeal.”
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THE NUMBERS
Vermont reported 121 cases of the coronavirus on Friday for a statewide total since the pandemic began of more than 16,600.
One death was reported, bringing the total to 212.
A total of 23 people were hospitalized, with four in intensive care.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Vermont has risen over the past two weeks from 98.71 new cases per day on Feb. 24 to 116.29 new cases per day on March 10.
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AP reporter Wilson Ring contributed to this report from Stowe, Vt.