School starts in Vermont after holiday weekend
Schools restarted across Vermont on Tuesday after the Labor Day weekend with a mix of in-person and remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, along with rules and procedures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Pediatricians have said that last school year’s remote learning during the coronavirus-induced shutdown affected children, and “not in a good way,” said Gov. Phil Scott during his regular virus briefing. “And now the work begins to see just how deep those impacts were, which is why it’s so important for all of us to work together to get kids back on track.”
With the successful reopening of colleges and universities, the state can have confidence that it’s ready to reopen the K-12 school system, said Education Secretary Dan French.
“Reopening our schools is the best thing we can do for our children. Reopening our schools allows us to reestablish the routines, relationships and activities ... that are essential to the well-being and healthy development of our students,” he said.
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BUY LOCAL
The state on Monday started offering $30 to Vermonters to spend at local businesses to help residents and businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Legislature allocated $500,000 in federal coronavirus relief funds for the Buy Local Vermont program, and awards will be a first-come first served. As of midday Tuesday, more than 10,000 Vermonters were trying to get signed up, and the website was having some trouble, said Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle.
“The system is working, but I understand that the codes are a still little delayed, but we’re just asking for folks patience and hopefully those codes will be coming your way very shortly,” Kurrle said.
When the offer is activated, residents are matched with local businesses where they can use the funds.
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TESTING
Kinney Drugs is in partnership with the University of Vermont Medical Center to begin COVID-19 testing at 11 sites around Vermont, Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine announced Tuesday.
Some locations will start this week, and others will over the next two weeks, he said. Walgreens joined in a pilot testing effort a few months ago and now operates a drive-thru site in Essex Junction, he said.
Vermont to date has tested more than 146,000 people — nearly a quarter of the state’s population — through pop-up test sites operated by the Health Department and the Vermont National Guard and testing by hospitals and health care providers, Levine said.
The state has created a new online system for registering for appointments and the reporting of test results. Test results will soon be available electronically through email for people who get tested at a Health Department site, speeding up the process, Levine said.