Governor loosens rules, responds to Biden deadline

A view from the Ottauquechee River Trail in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

As promised, the state of Vermont made further changes to public health guidance on Friday, as the number of vaccinated Vermonters steadily increases. The state reached a new milestone in that process: 1 in 4 Vermonters have now received at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Gov. Phil Scott also said the state could exceed President Joe Biden’s new directive that states make all adults vaccine-eligible by May 1. But first, the state needs to know how much Johnson & Johnson vaccine it will get, and he was confident that update would be forthcoming.

At a Friday press briefing, Gov. Phil Scott announced immediate changes to rules on small multi-household gatherings and table seating at restaurants. The changes allow two unvaccinated households to gather at a time, and restaurants can seat multiple households together, but no more than six people can be seated at the same table. Masking, distancing, capacity limits, and other guidelines remain in place.

At a press briefing, Scott acknowledged Vermont continues to take one of the most cautious approaches to reopening, and this has caused some frustration. 

"I hear from people every day who think we should be moving faster to reopen like some other states have," Scott said. "But there's a reason we have the lowest number of (COVID-related) deaths in the country, and the lowest death rate in the continental U.S. If our death rate was as high as some of our neighbors, like New York, we wouldn't be talking about 212 lives lost. We'd be talking about 1,500 or more."  

Scott said he'd continue to take a "methodical and strategic approach", guided by the health experts. He also noted that, as more people get vaccinated, Vermonters can expect the loosening of public health restrictions to be more frequent than last spring, when the vaccine was not available.

Speaking of vaccinations, the governor responded to questions his office received following President Joe Biden's televised speech on Thursday night, during which he directed states to expand vaccine eligibility to all adults by May 1. 

Scott said he thought Vermont could exceed that target, but the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine is the key to meeting it. He said the state is waiting for federal confirmation on what its Johnson & Johnson allotment will look like. 

"Following President Biden's remarks, I'm assuming a clear supply picture will be made available to the states as soon as possible, so we can confirm the schedule of our remaining age bands and share it with you next week," Scott said. "But again, I want Vermonters to know, if the federal government delivers the supply, we'll more than deliver on the president's eligibility goal." 

Sanders: Rapid relief a key point of $1.9 trillion bill

For U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the direct stimulus checks going out now to about 90% of Americans are a key feature of the COVID-19 relief bill President Joe Biden signed into law Thursday.

On Friday, Sanders emphasized that rapid economic relief is what many Vermonters and people across the country badly need. For those with direct deposit, those $1,400 relief payments should show up in bank accounts in the next few days, he added.

"I have believed for a very long time, that in a moment when half of the people in our country are living paycheck to paycheck, probably the most important thing that we could do at this moment is just get cash into the hands of struggling families," Sanders said at Friday's state press conference.

The bill also has provisions meant to address child poverty, including increasing the federal child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,600 for families with kids under age 6. In fact, Sanders said, estimates project the legislation will cut child poverty by up to 50%.

"This bill, in a very aggressive way, addresses that crisis," Sanders said.

The senator said he'll never forget seeing the long lines of cars lining up all over the state for emergency food packages last year.

"People are hurting, and they need help," Sanders said.

From the new relief package, Vermont will see $1.3 billion. Within that, the state gets $152 million for rent and utility relief and $50 million for mortgage assistance.

Sanders also shared important news for the many Vermonters who filed for unemployment in 2020. The relief bill adds a tax deduction for the first $10,000 in unemployment benefits an individual received in 2020.

With the bill's passage, enhanced federal unemployment benefits of $300 per week are extended into early September. It also provides more funding for vaccination efforts, aid for school reopenings and assistance for businesses.

Noting the great need to help children during the recovery, Sanders said the bill nearly triples federal funding for summer and after-school programs. It also supplies an additional $391 million in federal funding for child care.

"The bottom line is, this is an enormously comprehensive piece of legislation. It will impact, I suspect, almost every family in the state of Vermont," Sanders said. "The goal here is to do everything that we can to help people who are struggling right now, to rebuild our economy, to open up our businesses, to get our children back to school, and to crush this pandemic as quickly as we can."

In the coming weeks, he said, people can expect Congress to take on big issues like infrastructure, energy systems and climate change, noting each of those areas can create jobs as the country moves forward.

State provides update on school staff vaccinations

The state of Vermont's efforts to roll out vaccinations for school employees has gone well for the most part, though with a few "bumps in the road", according to state education officials.

On Monday, the state began vaccine eligibility for teachers, school staff and child care providers. This included school-based clinics offered around the state.

At Friday's press briefing, Education Secretary Dan French said there were some issues regarding the location of vaccination appointments, as some appointment slots filled up more quickly than others.

“I just wanted to assure people that new clinics will be implemented as the supply increases, so school staff should not worry about being able to get an appointment if they weren't able to get one this week," French said.

Additionally, school staff in Vermont can also get vaccinated through the federal pharmacy program, which includes over 20 Walgreens locations throughout the state. French encouraged school staff to check on Walgreens appointment slots for availability as well, at walgreens.com.

Also on Friday, French shared a note of progress for the return to in-person learning. In February, Vermont schools saw slight increases of in-person learning across all grade levels.

"As the weather gets warmer and vaccination expands, we can expect to see the amount of in-person continue to increase in the coming weeks," French said.

As of Friday, over 11,000 educators, school staff, and child care providers have made appointments.

Also this week, vaccine registration opened for all Vermonters over age 16 with certain high-risk health conditions, and 21,700 people in that group of about 75,000 have signed up.

For appointments and eligibility details, visit healthvermont.gov/myvaccine or call 855-722-7878.

— Gareth Henderson

Dining outside

People enjoy the outdoor dining experience on Saturday afternoon at The Prince & The Pauper in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Restaurants in Vermont have been able to offer outdoor dining, under restrictions, for just over a week, and those serving outside have found customers enthusiastic to enjoy a meal in the fresh spring air.

In Woodstock, the Prince and the Pauper was one of the first in this region to give it a try. The restaurant had its soft launch of patio outdoor dining on Friday, May 22, shortly after getting final requirements in order. The last time the P&P had outdoor dining was 15 years ago, said co-owner Liz Schwenk. Longtime bartender Clemens Steinrisser was serving customers outside at the time — and now he is again.

“We were joking, it’s really come full circle,” Schwenk said.

Seating times are available from 4 to 6:45 p.m. by reservations only. Customers are asked to wear masks as they are arriving or leaving, but can take them off when seated. The five tables are spaced apart at the required 10 feet. Most of the tables are for two, and seating times are staggered for safety and also for staff, Schwenk said. She said customers have been great about following the rules.

The big theme is, people are happy to see each other, especially after having to stay at home for so long. Some families have been eating at the P&P for two or three generations.

“We’re so lucky with the amazing customers we have,” Schwenk said, noting many have gotten take-out orders for weeks. “It’s so nice to see their faces again.”

That was also the common sentiment when some local retail shops reopened in mid-May, and people were thrilled to come in and talk with their local shop owners in person again.

“It really feels like the community has wrapped its arms around each other,” Schwenk said.

The Prince and The Pauper can be reached at 802-457-1818 and online at www.princeandpauper.com. The take-out option remains available.

— Gareth Henderson