Gov. Phil Scott

State getting ready for youth vaccinations, numbers dropping

MONTPELIER- The state is gearing up to vaccinate 5- to 11-year-olds and administer more boosters, as COVID-19 rates continue to decline, administration officials said Tuesday.
Reporting on his discussion with White House officials and governors earlier in the day, Gov. Phil Scott said the...

Governor urges “personal responsibility”

MONTPELIER - At his weekly press conference, Gov. Phil Scott urged “personal responsibility” to control the COVID-19 pandemic, now in its 19th month. Officials at the press conference discussed rising cases in the state, vaccinations for children under 12, the prospect of mixing and matching...

Officials say case rates climb in Vermont, but drop in nearby states

MONTPELIER- Vermont, still the most vaccinated state in the US, continues to see its COVID-19 case counts rise while cases in surrounding states are falling.
Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Michael Pieciak said the COVID-19 new case and hospitalization trends appeared...

Agency of Education Secretary Dan French File photo

Scott calls for employer virus vaccine mandates

MONTPELIER- Gov. Phil Scott said booster shots are on the horizon, urged employer vaccine mandates, and announced new school guidance at his COVID-19 press conference Tuesday.
Gov. Scott said booster shots were a topic of discussion at his meeting earlier in the day with governors and...

Agency of Education Secretary Dan French at Wednesday's press briefing by Gov. Phil Scott and his administration.

State extends school masking plans

MONTPELIER- Gov. Phil Scott announced a change in the state’s masking guidance for schools, a new school vaccination incentive plan, and pleaded with Vermonters to be civil in their discourse at his press briefing Wednesday.
Gov. Scott said the administration’s school mask guidance had...

Gov. Phil Scott at Tuesday's press briefing

Some state staff to see vax mandate

MONTPELIER- Although officials say the impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant has been blunted thanks to the state’s high vaccination rate, Gov. Phil Scott announced at his press conference this week that he’ll mandate vaccinations for certain state employees working with vulnerable populations....

Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine File Photo

Governor says high vaccination rates helping

By Mike Eldred
MONTPELIER- While some states and localities in the United States are reacting to the resurgence of COVID-19 by re-implementing some mitigation measures, officials in the country’s most vaccinated state were sounding a more optimistic tone at Gov. Phil Scott’s press briefing...

Vermont Agency of Education Secretary Dan French at Tuesday's press briefing

State wants kids in schools this fall

MONTPELIER- State officials are advising school districts to return to in-person learning this fall with students and staff wearing masks, at least for the first few weeks. An official advisory memo will be issued sometime this week, according to the Agency of Education.
At his press...

Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Michael Pieciak. File Photo

Low numbers in state show vaccine effective

MONTPELIER- As the state nears 84% of eligible Vermonters vaccinated, including about 75% who are fully vaccinated, Gov. Phil Scott said his administration is not letting up on efforts to vaccinate the remaining 16% of Vermonters who are eligible. “What we’re seeing across the country shows...

Scott hopeful on bipartisan deal

MONTPELIER- At his press briefing on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott expressed hope after his recent meeting at the White House last week to discuss a $1.3 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that’s currently in the US Senate.
Gov. Scott noted that the bipartisan proposal is separate from...