Vermont one step closer to welcoming Afghan refugees

(Gareth Henderson Photo)

With a key federal decision this week, Vermont's plan to welcome Afghan refugees to the Green Mountains is moving forward. 

Gov. Phil Scott on Thursday announced the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) was approved by the U.S. Department of State to welcome up to 100 Afghans in Vermont in the weeks ahead. An exact timeline of arrivals is not yet established.

USCRI is a national nonprofit resettlement agency that assists people who have migrated to the U.S. to help them live safe and dignified lives, as Thursday's announcement said. USCRI’s Vermont Office, the Scott administration, the State Refugee Office at the Vermont Agency of Human Services and other refugee programs have been pursuing opportunities to welcome refugees over the last several weeks. The goal is to accommodate some of the many Afghans who are being targeted due to support of the U.S. military and U.S. government agencies, as well as media and non-governmental organizations, following the end of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, according to state officials.

“We have a moral obligation to help the people of Afghanistan, who did so much to help us in the War on Terror,” Scott said in a statement. “In addition to this being the right thing to do, we know that welcoming more refugees also strengthens communities, schools, our workforce, culture and economy.” 

For years, the governor has requested annual increases in refugee resettlement in Vermont as part of a strategy to increase economic growth and expand Vermont’s workforce. In Thursday's announcement, Tracy Dolan, the director of the State Refugee Office, noted the interest shown by businesses. 

“It is an honor to help those who have helped our service members overseas and it is a wonderful opportunity for Vermont’s communities and for our businesses who are very interested in expanding our workforce and filling our job vacancies,” Dolan said.

She added, “We are learning from our colleagues at military bases and arrival centers across the country that employment is one of the highest priorities mentioned by these newly arriving Afghans. They are eager to find jobs and rebuild their lives.” 

USCRI Vermont will work closely with the state, as well as with schools, employers, landlords, and health and social service programs, to meet the needs of arriving Afghans and of the community. Before they arrive in Vermont, Afghans will have completed medical and security screenings, and will be authorized to work, officials explained. USCRI is continuing to respond to Vermont volunteers and businesses interested in offering support.

“I want to thank Vermonters for the outpouring of support we are receiving — we are not always fast to respond immediately to your offers due to the preparations we are making but want you to know we are thankful as we work together to extend a warm welcome to our Afghan neighbors,” said Amila Merdzanovic, director of USCRI Vermont. 

The State Department also approved the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) to open a new field office in Brattleboro. ECDC is a resettlement agency that works with refugees from around the world and hired Joe Wiah, who will begin his new role as director of the Brattleboro Office on September 20. ECDC plans to submit a proposal to the State Department to welcome 25 Afghans to Brattleboro in the coming months. Jessica Chapman, community outreach manager for the ECDC, thanked the Brattleboro community and local, regional and national partners for supporting this effort.

“After many months of planning and discussions we look forward to starting the work of welcoming refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders to the southern part of Vermont,” Chapman said in a statement.  

Also in southern Vermont, Rutland has shown interest in welcoming Afghan refugees to its community. In a recent report in the Rutland Herald, Merdzanovic told local officials the resettlement effort would start in Chittenden County, Vermont's most populous county, and USCRI would reach out to supporters in other communities. 

The state plans to provide further information on the resettlement of Afghans in Vermont as more details become available.

— Gareth Henderson

Vt. plans to lift all pandemic restrictions by July 4

After over a year of statewide restrictions, Vermont’s governor has unveiled a plan to ease those limits over the next three months and have the Green Mountain State fully reopened by July 4.

But Gov. Phil Scott said this roadmap depends on the state hitting certain COVID-19 vaccination milestones, and is subject to change.

“Our goal with this plan is to give Vermonters a transparent look at how we’ll be able to work our way out of this pandemic, moving forward together at a time when we can manage this virus like we do the flu, with simple, every-day measures, rather than the state of emergency we’ve been in for over a year,” Scott said at Tuesday’s press conference.

He said Vermont’s in a strong position to meet the July 4 goal, with a robust testing and contact tracing, and one of the most successful vaccination programs in the U.S. 

“We’re in the last laps of this very long and difficult race, and this plan shows how we’ll finish strong,” Scott said. However, for that reopening effort to work, the governor noted people must continue to get vaccinated when their age band becomes eligible. 

The newly announced “Vermont Forward” plan includes three steps, and in each of those steps, it focuses on moving more businesses and organizations into “universal guidance,” instead of the sector-specific rules that have been in place. State officials hope this will provide more flexibility and predictability for sectors in Vermont. 

This universal guidance includes five main tenets that employers, workers and customers should follow: stay home when sick; wear a mask; ensure six-foot social distancing; practice good hygiene; know the travel restrictions. The social distancing and mask requirements will remain in place until July 4.

In Step 1 of the plan, “Group A” moves to universal guidance on Friday, which includes mainly low-contact businesses, such as outdoor businesses, outdoor recreation, farmers markets, campgrounds and others.

Also beginning Friday, the state will use COVID-19 testing instead of quarantining as the main requirement of its travel guidance. This means people will need to be tested within three days of returning to Vermont, and visitors will need to have a negative COVID test within three days of their arrival. Fully vaccinated people can continue to travel freely. 

In Step 2, “Group B” moves to universal guidance on May 1. This will eliminate capacity restrictions on all businesses, including restaurants and bars, and also takes away those restrictions for houses of worship and art centers.

In discussing the plan, Secretary of Commerce Lindsay Kurrle said businesses have the right to enact rules that go further than the universal guidance or address specific safety needs. 

“We hope all Vermonters will continue to honor and practice the mitigation measures that we have in place,” Kurrle said. “We all need to work together with our business community to ensure interactions are respectful and understanding of the changing dynamics we will see in the months ahead as Vermonters are vaccinated.” 

Additionally, indoor and outdoor gathering sizes will be relaxed in May and June as Steps 2 and 3 go into effect, and events and gatherings must also follow the universal guidance until July 4. State officials are hoping this can allow for high school and college graduations to take place in some form, and will allow for event planners and organizations to plan further into the year.

— Gareth Henderson

Vt. eases rules on lodging, restaurants

Traffic moves through downtown Woodstock, Vermont, during the summer. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

In a bid to help strengthen the hospitality sector before foliage season, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott on Friday loosened several state restrictions on businesses amid the pandemic. 

Scott announced that lodging establishments — which had been limited to 50 percent capacity — can now rent all their rooms, as long as guests follow all required health precautions. Those include mask-wearing, physical distancing and travel and quarantine requirements. Additionally, the governor said restaurants can now open up bar seating, with six-foot physical distancing and a lexan barrier between customers and staff working behind the bar. Both of these rule changes were effective immediately. 

Scott acknowledged many of these businesses are struggling to survive.

"I know this is not enough to soften the economic blow to our hospitality sector, and we'll continue to work with the Legislature to support these businesses that were hit the hardest, in order to help save the jobs and revenue they create," he said.    

Along those lines, Scott announced the state has a new program to help businesses. There are now five organizations across Vermont offering free expert advice on how businesses can navigate the financial pressures of the pandemic. Any businesses or nonprofits wanting to learn more are welcome to visit accd.vermont.gov for details.

To date, Vermont has been able to open most sectors to some extent, Scott said, thanks to Vermonters' adherence to public health measures. The state still has the lowest COVID-19 test positivity rate in the nation. However, to continue those good results, everyone must remain vigilant and keep following the same health practices to make further progress, Scott said. 

"If we all do our part — both Vermonters and visitors — we can continue to safely open up the economy, put people back to work in order to provide for their families, and prevent our local small businesses from closing their doors for good," he said.

Vermont continues to maintain an online map which shows which travelers can visit Vermont without a quarantine, per state requirements. Travelers from a county with less than 400 active COVID-19 cases per million residents are allowed to visit the Green Mountains with no quarantine.   

On Friday, state officials announced the total number of travelers able to visit quarantine-free increased by 2 million over the past week, to a total of 7.4 million. That is due to recent declines in cases in some of the most populous counties in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

— Gareth Henderson