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
