Vermont COVID-19 aid bill becomes law

The hills around Woodstock, Vermont, last summer. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

A $104 million COVID-19 relief bill has become law without Vermont Gov. Phil Scott's signature. The legislation includes $10 million in grants for struggling businesses, along with aid for housing, mental health services, and a range of infrastructure needs.

Scott reportedly declined to sign the bill, in part, because one of its provisions taxes some business loans under the federal Paycheck Protection Program. But the governor allowed the plan to become law because it "contains urgently needed funds for Vermonters," Vermont Public Radio reported. One part of the bill excludes the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits from 2020 from taxation, in accordance with a federal tax change this year.

In other Tuesday news, the state reported its COVID positivity rate has further dropped to 1.5%. Daily case counts are on the decline, in large part because the cases among younger age groups in Vermont recently dropped by one-third. Cases on college campuses are also down.

Additionally, federal officials hope to have some recommendations on Friday about resuming the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, with some restrictions. A pause in administration of that vaccine has continued this week in Vermont, as health experts are looking into the implications of six cases of rare blood-clotting in people who had the vaccine.

This week, Vermont's supply of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be level, while pharmacies in the federal pharmacy program will see an increase in those doses across the country. That means 8,000 more doses for pharmacies in Vermont.

On Monday, all Vermonters age 16 and older became eligible for COVID vaccinations, and 47,000 Vermonters age 16-29 had signed up to get their shots as of Tuesday morning.

— Gareth Henderson