At 1:00 I'll be delivering my Budget Address. With the federal funding and state surpluses we have, there's a once in a lifetime opportunity to make transformative investments in our future.

Watch at the link below, or on several news station websites. Two weeks ago, I shared the optimism I have for the opportunity before us. In my 21 years in public life, there has never been a more transformative moment. 1/

Just look at our hospitals, where many patients are sicker and getting admitted because of deferred care or our mental health system, where demand for crisis services has never been higher. 44/ When it comes to our kids, who lost out on months of full in-person instruction, not to mention music, drama, sports, field trips, dances, and all those normal interactions we took for granted, this pandemic has taken a significant toll. 45/

Below we’ll be posting excerpts of the Address. A full transcript will be posted at the end. 1/ It’s our tradition at the opening of the legislative session to come together and chart our course for the work ahead. 2/

As we await final guidance from CDC tomorrow regarding booster shots, we are confident that they will accept ACIP recommendations for those 65 years of age and older. So, effective tomorrow morning, we will launch our mass vaccination program for booster shots. 1/ To accommodate expected demand, registration start dates for statewide clinics will be broken up by age groups. Each group can register starting at 8:15 a.m. over the next week, on the following days: 2/

As I shared at Tuesday’s conference, we’re seeing elevated cases and a slight uptick in hospitalizations. These trends are being driven more and more by the unvaccinated, which account for about 80% of hospitalizations and 84% of those in the ICU. 1/ governor.vermont.gov/press-release/… We also see the gap between the vaccinated and unvaccinated widening when it comes to cases. And in recent weeks about 75% of cases are among those age 18+. 2/

Yesterday at my weekly press conference I talked about where we are as a state with COVID-19. Since the beginning, we’ve made our decisions and recommendations by looking at the data, trusting the science and looking at the big picture, knowing nothing is black and white. 1/ We’ve stuck to our data-backed approach even when public pressure has called for different strategies, criticized our priorities, demanded more, or protested for less.

And throughout, we’ve led the nation in our response and we continue to lead today. 2/

I know some are concerned as we see the rise in the Delta variant. This isn’t where we wanted to be, but we need to accept that we’re going to be managing this for some time to come. Fortunately, we’ve built a strong foundation for defense. 1/ As you know, Vermont continues to have the highest vaccination rate in the nation and among the highest in the world. This is helping to dampen the impacts of the Delta variant, as we see its effect across the globe. 2/

There are so many are responsible for today's achievement, but at the end of the day, the people who deserve the credit most are everyday Vermonters - those who wake up each morning wanting to do the right thing. 1/

governor.vermont.gov/governor-scott… Vermonters met this difficult moment from the start. You have cared for one another, you have followed the science, and you have put others first. You stuck together, even while we had to be physically separated. 2/

I’m happy to announce that beginning this Tuesday, February 16th, we’re opening up registration for the vaccine to the next age band: 70 and older. 1/ To date, over 85% of Vermont’s 75 and older population have scheduled or already received their vaccinations, which is faster than many other states. 2/

The past year has been tough on all of us. We’ve faced a global pandemic that’s tested us in ways we never imagined. We’ve confronted racial injustice in America that’s been ignored for far too long. We’ve seen the worst of our politics and from our politicians. 1/ But in Vermont and across the country, voters came out in record numbers and sent a clear message, calling for moderation and unity and for leaders to treat everyone with dignity and respect, to work with anyone of any party to best serve all Americans. 2/

This is a very disturbing time for our nation. What we are seeing today at the U.S. Capitol is not a peaceful protest – it is an unacceptable attack on our democracy. 1/ The rioters have actively assaulted police officers, and they should immediately evacuate the Capitol building or be removed. 2/

Our latest modeling shows some concerning trends across New England, New York & Quebec, with 170,000+ new cases over the holidays alone. These numbers are troubling but it’s not just the cases- positivity rates in neighboring states are rising as well: dfr.vermont.gov/about-us/covid… 1/ We’re seeing something similar on a smaller scale in Vermont but it’s too early to know what our recent cases mean or the impact of the last 10 days. I encourage Vermonters to get tested coming out of the holidays so we can find cases and stop them in their tracks. 2/

Yesterday, we had our highest case count since the beginning of the pandemic: 178 positive tests. While 16 of these cases should have been reported as far back as November 21, it’s clear that the virus is widespread and very active right now. 1/ This unfortunately means our data does not support the return to recreational or school sports at this time, but we’ll continue to evaluate this each week. 2/

2020 has been a long and difficult year. We’ve battled a pandemic that’s circled the globe, and we’ve seen our lives change in unthinkable ways as we’ve struggled to contain and control a virus that’s taken the lives of over a quarter million Americans. 1/ In Vermont, we met this challenge with the same strength and unity that has guided us through so many other challenges in our history. We’ve proven that listening to the science, following the data and working together can prevent the worst impacts of this virus. 2/

On Friday, we recognized the Vermonters lost to COVID-19 and sadly, since then, we’ve lost at least two more lives. Today I want to talk about one of those lives: Mary Pat Brown. 1/ Mary Pat was a mother of 6 children who she raised in Bristol with her husband. I appreciated hearing from her family, who loved their mom a great deal: “Her loss weighs heavy on us, the worst part being that we couldn’t be with her as she struggled to fight this awful virus." 2/

Our cases are growing, leading to some big steps to slow the spread. Each step addresses areas that our data tells us are driving the spike: mostly adults from multiple households gathering with friends, usually involving alcohol/food with little to no masking and distancing. 1/ So, in addition to requiring quarantine for all non-essential travel, we had to ban multi-household gatherings. I know this is difficult & frustrating, especially with the holidays right around the corner, but it’s necessary & we need your help to get this back under control. 2/

Thread re today's media briefing: We continue to see a rise in COVID cases in Vermont, up from an average of 25 cases per day last week to 72 cases reported on Wednesday, 109 on Thursday and 84 today, despite our recent steps to slow the spread. 1/ Many clusters and outbreaks are tied to private social gatherings like baby showers, tailgate parties, deer camps and other small multi-household gatherings where people aren’t wearing masks or staying physically distanced, despite our warnings against these activities. 2/

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…

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

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

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