Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today signed Addendum 14, a Be Smart, Stay Safe order to extend the State of Emergency to June 15 and update previous emergency orders to reflect re-openings and eased restrictions announced in recent weeks.
State data and modeling indicate the spread of COVID-19 continues to slow and Vermont now has one of the lowest 3-day and 7-day growth rates in the country. The Governor and Department of Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, however, continue to caution that the state must also consider neighboring states where the virus is much more prevalent and outbreaks are still occurring.
“Vermonters have stepped up in a time of crisis, following guidance from the beginning to quickly slow the spread and keep our health care system from being overwhelmed. These efforts have saved hundreds and hundreds of lives and given us time to build the testing and tracing capacity we need to contain future outbreaks,” said Governor Scott. “The important thing to remember is that the smarter we are about our individual actions, and the more disciplined everyone can be during each step forward, the more steps we’ll be able to take to safely restart Vermont.”
At a press briefing Friday, Governor Scott outlined four metrics the Administration is monitoring as it continues restarting Vermont’s economy. They are:
- Syndromic surveillance: The percentage of visits to emergency care with either COVID-19-like illness or flu diagnosis.
- Viral growth and reproductive rates: Case growth measured by daily, 3-day, 7-day, and effective reproductive rate.
- Percentage of new positive tests: Percent of tests resulting in a new positive case.
- ICU and critical care beds: Number of occupied and unoccupied medical surgical and ICU beds.
The new Be Smart, Stay Safe order extends the expiration of all previous addendums to June 15, applies the health and safety protocols implemented in restart addendums 10-13, and encourages continued vigilance in physical distancing, staying close to home, mask use in public settings where physical distancing is not possible, washing hands and more. The addendum also asks adults 65 and older and those with underlying medical conditions to continue to shelter in place to avoid serious illness.
As the key restart metrics continue to support incremental openings, the Be Smart, Stay Safe order also allows the limited resumption of campgrounds, marinas and lodging facilities, including hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, inns, short term rentals, parks for recreational vehicles and campgrounds, including those managed by the Vermont Department of Parks and Recreation. These facilities can open May 22 for Vermont residents only, or those who have met the 14-day quarantine requirement, and will be subject to strict health and safety standards and guidance from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
To view Addendum 14 (Be Smart, Stay Safe), visit https://governor.vermont.gov/content/addendum-14-executive-order-01-20.
To view ACCD’s memo for lodging safety guidelines and protocols, as well as additional resources, visit accd.vermont.gov.
For more information on:
- COVID-19 health information, guidance and case data, visit www.healthvermont.gov/covid19.
- The Governor’s actions, visit governor.vermont.gov/covid19response.
- The state’s modeling, visit https://dfr.vermont.gov/about-us/covid-19/modeling.
https://governor.vermont.gov/press-release/governor-phil-scott-extends-state-emergency-data-driven-restart-continues
