Thread by @GovPhilScott

As Dr. Fauci said on Tuesday, Vermont is a model for the country on how to suppress this virus. You should all be proud of your hard work to keep each other safe. It’s put us in a position to methodically reopen the economy & we’ve had kids back in schools for two weeks now. 1/10

But as Dr. Fauci also said, we can’t let our guard down. We must continue to do the things that got us here, like wearing a mask, staying physically distant, washing our hands, staying home when sick and being smart about gathering size and travel. 2/10

Our collective good work to date has let us open just about every sector to some extent and we’ve steadily moved forward, not back. As we continue to see low case counts, and as we’ve learned from our experience with lodging and indoor dining, we’re updating our guidance. 3/10

Effective today, bar seating in restaurants will be allowed. Food and drink service can take place at the counter but there needs to be a minimum of 6 feet between parties and a Lexan barrier between the customers and the staff behind the counter. 4/10

We’re also allowing lodging facilities to rent all their rooms, with mask and physical distancing requirements; travel and quarantine requirements; and limits on dining and gathering size still in place. 5/10

I know some may worry that we’ll see a flood of people from other states. I want to remind everyone that campgrounds/marinas/cottages were at 100% capacity all summer but we saw decreased travel compared to 2019. And we have a travel policy in place. 6/10

This policy allows people from green counties with low rates of COVID to come w/o quarantine while all others must quarantine for 14 days. So while we look forward to welcoming all who follow this policy, if you’re from a red or yellow county, please quarantine or stay home. 7/10

To help make it easier for travelers to comply and for lodging facilities to help them do so, we’re also moving our travel map update and modeling presentation to Tuesdays. This will give folks a few more days to see the latest map and adjust their travel plans. 8/10

I know this is not enough to soften the economic blow to our hospitality sector and we’re working with the Legislature to support these businesses to help save jobs and revenues. Today I’m pleased to announce we’ve launched another initiative to support small businesses. 9/10

We now have 5 organizations across Vermont offering new technical assistance programs which provide free expert advice for businesses navigating this pandemic. Vermont small businesses and non-profits interested in learning more should visit accd.vermont.gov. 10/10