Important thread: Today we reported 72 new COVID-19 cases – the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic and nearly double what was reported yesterday. 1/
With the growth we’ve seen in recent days, I’ve directed our emergency response team to prepare to re-deploy field hospital sites as a precautionary measure. 2/ vem.vermont.gov/news/media-rel…
We need all Vermonters to recommit to slowing the spread: Limit your contacts and avoid gatherings, even small ones. Wear a mask. Keep 6 ft. apart. And follow our travel policy, which now requires quarantine for all non-essential travel. 3/ governor.vermont.gov/press-release/…
The fact is the clusters and outbreaks we’re seeing often trace back to Vermonters traveling out of state and to social gatherings like baby showers, Halloween parties, deer camps and other small gatherings where masking and physical distancing breakdown. 4/
I understand Vermonters feel fatigued from the pandemic and the sacrifices it has required. But we must all do our part to slow the spread, protect our neighbors, keep kids in school and keep our economy open. 5/
Today’s modeling update shows continued concerning trends nationally, regionally and in Vermont. We’ve gone months with such low disease prevalence that many have become more lax, but the rise in cases shows the risk is higher than what we’re used to: bit.ly/3kqeJlf 1/10
In last few weeks, the number of counties open for travel without a quarantine has been shrinking- as of today, it’s down to only 2. Along with social gatherings, travel to & from other states without quarantining is one of the common denominators in our rising case counts. 2/10
So, as of today, we’re temporarily suspending our travel map and requiring a 14-day quarantine (or 7 days and a negative test) for any non-essential travel into Vermont: bit.ly/2IlRyLx 3/10
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
As we gear up for the restart of remote and hybrid learning, many working families are in need of flexible childcare options. 1/4
That’s why my team acted quickly to stand up a system of regional childcare hubs to serve kids and their families on remote learning days. We’ve already approved 12 hub sites with the capacity to serve 4,600 children, with 20 more sites currently in review. 2/4
These hubs will give students a safe, reliable place to participate in remote learning (plus enrichment activities) while their parents are at work. 3/4
Two years ago today, our country lost a giant, with the passing of American hero, Senator John McCain.
We desperately need more people like him in leadership today. 1/7
In his farewell, he reminded us of the exceptional capacity of American optimism & challenged us to recognize that “we weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe.” 2/7
I couldn’t agree more.
I had the honor of attending his services at the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. I will remember that day for the rest of my life. 3/7
This pandemic has created many obstacles we’re working hard to address. As many school districts prepare to open, for many parents, finding childcare is a major challenge when moving back and forth between in-person and remote learning. 1/4
To help, I signed an Executive Order modifying our regulations so that home-based providers can be reimbursed for more than 4 hours of care on school days. This will add about 3,000 spots to help parents who are navigating different school schedules for in-person learning. 2/4
We’ll also develop regional childcare hubs for children on remote learning days. These sites will use business and municipal spaces and will operate like summer camps from a regulatory standpoint, to avoid some of the red tape, so we can get them up and running quickly. 3/4
Seven weeks ago, Dr. Levine, Secretary French and I spoke at a press conference and set a clear goal: To return to in-person instruction for our kids in the Fall. 1/
At the same time, we recognized how unpredictable this pandemic is, and the anxiety it can and has caused. So, our planning included remote learning and hybrid models, as alternatives. 2/
These approaches were in our guidance for schools, issued on 6/17, developed by a large group of health and education experts and stakeholders, including NEA members, superintendents, principals, special education experts, pediatric infectious disease experts and more. 3/