All Entries in the "Mandated shutdowns" Category
Vermont Supreme Court extends Judicial Emergency Order to Nov. 1
The Vermont Supreme Court has once again amended its order declaring a Judicial Emergency. Administrative Order 49, which was originally adopted in March 2020, has been amended numerous times to ensure the judiciary continues to be responsive to public health guidance relating to Covid-19. The current amendments, like previous measures, aim to protect the health […]
Vaccines arrive as infections, deaths climb
©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC With Vermont reaching what he called a “grim milestone” of over 100 deaths and with new case counts again jumping another 1,000-mark threshold this week, Gov. Phil Scott announced on Tuesday that he is extending Vermont’s state of emergency through Jan. 15, 2021. The first Pfizer vaccines arrived in the state […]
Chester board continues budget work, appoints Zoning Administrator Resident proposes civilian oversight of police
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its Dec. 2 meeting, the Chester Select Board continued working on the budget, department by department, and even converted into its alter ego – The Chester Water Commission – to look at the numbers for 2021. As has happened in previous meetings, most of the budget […]
Vermont records new Covid high, another death
©2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC Vermont reached two more grim milestones on Thursday with the highest number of new infections in a day and another Covid-19 death. The Department of Health’s daily report showed 148 new Covid-19 positives – the highest number of the pandemic so far. As it has in recent days, Washington County had […]
Marconics gatherings spark Covid concerns in Chester Owners: We are Covid compliant, attention is a 'witch hunt'
By Cynthia Prairie & Shawn Cunningham ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC As many as 25 to 35 cars — most bearing out-of-state license plates — parked at the old Jiffy Mart and adjacent streets in downtown Chester last week alarmed members of the Chester community as Covid-19 cases continue to rise nationwide and as Vermont severely […]
Vt. tallies another Covid-19 day high at 122
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Vermont registered a new high of 122 new coronavirus infections today with 68 percent of them coming in three counties: Washington, Chittenden and Orange. The new total exceeds the previous record of 109 set last Thursday. In the past seven days, Vermont has seen its case count rise by 544 […]
Gov. Scott mandates public mask-wearing
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Citing the surge of Covid-19 cases around the country, Gov. Phil Scott on Friday, July 24, mandated that everyone in a public place in which physical distancing is not possible must wear a mask or cloth face covering. The order takes effect on Saturday, Aug. 1. State officials […]
Derry Select Board orders mask wearing Board chair: Gov. Scott put small town leaders in 'untenable situation'
By Cynthia Prairie and Bruce Frauman ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Select Board of the town of Londonderry voted in a special meeting on Wednesday, July 15, to mandate that the public and employees wear masks or other face coverings in local businesses. The board was prompted to take the action, said board chair George […]
A Complex Equation: Solving the puzzle of reopening schools Part 1 of a series on reopening schools in the Time of Covid-19
This is Part 1 in a series on the issues around reopening schools closed by the pandemic in the fall. By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The countdown clock is ticking. In less than three months the 2020/21 school year begins. And while Agency of Education Secretary Dan French is working with Vermont’s […]
Scott extends ‘stay home’ order, hints at opening businesses
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Saying that Vermonters are saving lives by staying home, Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday that he is extending to May 15 the state of emergency including the Stay Home Stay Safe order in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “I know how disappointing this to many,” said Scott, […]
Telegraph Pandemic Digest for April 10
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Feds OK Vermont request for disaster funds President Donald Trump has approved Gov. Phil Scott’s request for federal disaster funds to assist the state of Vermont in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The funds can reimburse up to 75 percent of the costs incurred by the state and towns […]
‘First’ extension of stay at home to be announced Friday
By Shawn Cunningham © Telegraph Publishing LLC Gov. Phil Scott announced Wednesday that on Friday he will announce the “first extension” of his stay-at-home orders that have closed shops, restaurants and schools and kept many people at home. During his Wednesday press conference, Scott also said that the administration would also provide an update on […]
Early spurt of gardens, seed sales, farm shares With social distancing regs, farmers markets remain in limbo
By Evan Chadwick ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Covid-19 crisis has spurred an early spike in sales of seeds and growing supplies as well as people signing up for Community Supported Agriculture, even while it has stymied this summer’s farmers markets. Jon Cohen, farmer and owner of Deep Meadow Farm in Ascutney, says that so […]
Governor’s closure orders consolidated to one expiration date Further extensions of closures and other orders expected
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC I In a press release issued late this afternoon, the governor’s office has clarified that the expiration dates for previous orders have all been extended to April 15. This new order makes clear that any previous orders – including those closing bars and restaurants for dine-in service, and the Department […]
Gov. Scott: If you don’t need to come to Vt., don’t New restrictions on lodging, mandated quarantine for travelers
By Shawn Cunningham ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Scott today ordered restrictions on travelers arriving in Vermont and ordered the lodging industry — including Airbnbs and others offering short-term rentals as well as campgrounds and RV parks — to close and stop taking reservations. […]
State Police check compliance at hundreds of hotels/motels
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing, LLC Vermont State Police troopers visited 295 lodging establishments across the state to check their compliance with Gov. Phil Scott’s Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order which required commercial lodging establishments to immediately begin to cease operations due to the coronavirus pandemic according to a VSP press release issued Sunday afternoon. […]
Levine touts ‘full-court press’ to ease testing rules Covid positives up by 26 from yesterday, 2 more patients die
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the nominal purpose of Gov. Phil Scott’s press conference this morning was to talk about his order to dismiss schools for the remainder of the year, that was overshadowed by the announcement of relaxed requirements for testing Vermonters for Covid-19, the increase in positive tests by […]
Gov. Scott: Schools won’t reopen this school year Distance learning will continue with AOE guidance
© 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Gov. Phil Scott today directed schools to remain closed through June, but continue distance learning. This extends the previous directive closing Pre-k-12 schools from March 18 to April 6. The decision, according to a press release, was made to slow the spread of coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, the disease that […]
Citing ‘exponential growth’ in Covid-19 cases, Gov. Scott tightens stay home order 28 new cases brings total to 123 as another patient dies
By Shawn Cunningham © 2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC Just eyeballing this, everyone can see this does not represent linear growth,” said Dr. Mark Levine, pointing to a bar graph that showed cumulative and new cases of Covid-19 from March 7 through March 24. Levine, Vermont’s commissioner of health, was speaking at a press conference Wednesday […]
Covid-19 Task Force looks for so. Vt. medical sites Scott orders non-exempt business to end in-person contact
By Shawn Cunningham ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the Vermont National Guard works to set up emergency medical centers in northern Vermont to help hospitals with a possible surge in Covid-19 cases that could overwhelm them, Gov. Phil Scott’s Covid-19 Task Force is searching southern Vermont for similar sites, Mark Bosma, spokesman for Vermont Emergency […]
