MARSHFIELD, Vt. (AP) - As Vermont’s growth rate of new COVID-19 cases has slowed, certain professionals who have little or no contact with others and one-to-two-person construction crews may return to work next week, Republican Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday.
Social distancing remains necessary, with a limit of two workers per location who must stay 6 feet apart and wear cloth masks, he said. Hand-washing and disinfecting procedures must be in place, and any employee who has symptoms of sickness must stay home, Scott said.
“No one wants to get Vermont back to work more than me, but as we do, we must also do all we can to beat this virus,” he said.
The growth rate of new cases has averaged below 4% in the last 12 days, Scott said, thanking Vermonters for their hard work and sacrifice to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“While these trends are encouraging, I want to be clear we are not declaring victory, because we’re not out of the woods yet but we are seeing some daylight,” he said. “The state will only continue to see these positive results if people remain committed to social distancing, staying home, avoiding large gatherings and staying 6 feet away from others, wearing a mask, and washing their hands a lot.”
Starting Monday, property managers, one-to-two-person crews in construction and similar trades and professionals who have little or no contact with others, such as appraisers, realtors, municipal clerks and attorneys, may return to work.
More nonessential retailers, such as garden- and construction-supply stores, could open if they can meet certain safety requirements including phone or online ordering only, curbside pickup and delivery, and they must operate with a minimum number of employees, he said. Farmers markets will be permitted to operate starting on May 1 with guidelines that are being developed, he said.
“This will not be an opening of the floodgates,” Scott said. “Instead we will slowly turn on the spigot, a quarter turn at a time, guided by the data and our experts with health as the top priority.”
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UNEMPLOYMENT BACKLOG
Scott said he has given the Department of Labor until Saturday night to clear the backlog of eligible unemployment insurance claims, and if it doesn’t, the state will start writing $1,200 checks to those on the list on Sunday.
“I want to tell Vermonters I’m sorry and we’re sorry,” said Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington during the press briefing. “We recognize the situation that we’re in and the struggle that many are going through. I know that too many are having issues, haven’t received benefits or can’t get through to someone to help.”
The department has roughly 34,000 Vermonters who together have over 50,000 issues related to their claims, Harrington said. The department thinks it can resolve 90% of the issues over the next few days, he said.
Starting next week, the department is expanding the number of workers in its call center even more by adding 40 people from other state agencies and up to 70 from an outside vendor, he said.
Vermont has processed more than 78,000 initial unemployment claims since March 15, according to the Labor Department.
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NUMBERS
A total of 779 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state and 35 people have died, the Vermont Health Department reported Friday.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
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