By Polly Mikula and Erin Petenko/VTDigger The latest update to the state’s model of Covid-19 cases shows that the rate of new cases  continues to decline. At a press conference Friday, April 10, Michael Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, said the slowdown indicates Vermont will most likely have enough hospital beds, intensive care beds…

Action hopes to expand the pool of care providers available during COVID-19 emergency Health care professionals can now quickly become temporarily licensed to provide care during the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to a news release April 13. Gov. Phil Scott signed Act 91 on March 31, granting emergency authority to expedite temporary licensure for…

By Kit Norton/VTDigger Days after dropping out of the presidential race, Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in a campaign livestream discussion between the two men, Monday, April 13. “I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy,…

By Sen. Alison Clarkson The Legislature’s priority focus during this unusual time is providing relief to Vermonters who face serious life challenges as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. As we are all discovering, a surprising number of the needs of everyday life are affected by having to “stay safe, stay home.”  From reducing people’s…

By Rep. Jim Harrison This past Friday, April 10, Governor Scott extended Vermont’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order until May 15. The extension was not a surprise given that he had been messaging for a week that an extension was likely. And when asked about returning activity to “normal,” he indicated it would be gradual,…

By Senator Dick McCormack The present policy of the state, per court order, is to allow physically present visitation between foster children and their natural parents, despite the COVID epidemic. I support a change in policy to require applicable families to honor the Governor’s isolation protocol, allowing for exceptions. My thinking is as follows: The…

Dear Editor, The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global shift in how we function as a society. From quarantine orders, to face masks, to social distancing, we are all getting used to the “new normal.” However, there are two sectors, quietly working in the background, almost invisible to the public, but which are the basis…

Dear Editor, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month across the country. This unprecedented time for all Vermonters brings out the best in us all and also can elevate the risk for child abuse, domestic violence and increased substance abuse. Stress is a factor we as Vermonters are doing and can do a lot to decrease…

Dear Editor, With the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, we are already reducing our carbon footprint during the pandemic by curtailing travel. But we can do so much more by cutting our consumption of animal meat and milk products. A recent article in the respected journal Nature argues that animal agriculture is…

By Jim Condos, Vermont Secretary of State The current public health crisis has been a serious test for us all, and it’s also testing our democracy and how we respond in a crisis. Just last week the Supreme Court voted 5-4, along ideological lines, to reject an extension of absentee ballot return deadlines for Wisconsin…

By Faith Gong I’ve seen several articles lately in which mental health professionals explain the emotions that humankind is experiencing right now — when the worldwide death toll from the COVID-19 virus continues to rise and the social distancing guidelines under which we have been placed stretch out indefinitely — as grief. Collective grief. If…

Vermont’s Congressional delegation (Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch) announced Thursday, April 9, that the state’s 11 federally qualified health centers received a total of $8.7 million for COVID-19 relief. This federal funding was provided to community health centers as a result of the CARES Act, the federal stimulus enacted last…

RUTLAND—In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rutland Area Medical Community Scholarship application deadline has been extended to May 1, 2020 so more qualified candidates can still apply. In its fourth year, this scholarship is possible thanks to the generosity of Rutland area physicians, retired physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The scholarship is intended…

As the U.S. COVID-19 health crisis continues, many businesses, organizations, and schools adapt to utilizing temporary telework arrangements. Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns video conference app users of recent “Zoom-Bombing” where hijackers infiltrate the Zoom session. Zoom’s founder and CEO Eric Yuan said in a blog post Wednesday, April 1, that the company went from…

Come Alive Outside has created a new 5x5 Challenge for people to complete five  healthy outdoor activities a week for five weeks while we are all social distancing! Participants can download an activity guide and tracking sheet at comealiveoutside.com/5x5. The challenge encourages everyone to get active outside, grow something edible, learn with their hands in…