Gov. Scott announces bars and restaurants must close or offer takeout only

Press release – March 16, 2020
Office of Governor Phil Scott

Montpelier, Vt. – Gov. Phil Scott today announced new guidance in response to COVID-19, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Today’s guidance updates the executive order he issued on March 13, which declared a state of emergency in Vermont.

First, as announced at a press conference Monday morning, new guidance further restricts the size of mass gatherings to the lesser of 50 people or 50% of the occupancy of a facility. This restriction applies to all social, recreational or entertainment activities, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theater, gymnasium, fitness center, library or any other confined indoor or confined outdoor space.

The Governor is also ordering the closure of all bars and restaurants statewide. Establishments can continue to offer food takeout and delivery service. This measure is effective beginning 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 and is in effect until April 6, though this could be extended.

These changes reflect the growing trend of confirmed coronavirus cases in Vermont, new recommendations from the CDC, social distancing and mitigation efforts recommended by the Vermont Department of Health, and ongoing discussions with neighboring states.

Additional reductions or prohibitions may be implemented or amended as needed.

Additionally, state government agencies and departments are working to transition the state employee workforce to remote work, while also implementing measures to limit person to person transactions in state offices, like the DMV. Those measures will be combined with 90-day extensions in license and registration renewals.

Most individuals affected by COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms but some individuals – especially the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions – are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness. Through his emergency powers, Governor Scott is implementing additional mitigation strategies to protect those at greatest risk, slow the spread of illness in our communities and minimize the risk to the public.

“I want Vermonters to know we’re continuously evaluating other mitigation steps and we’ll continue to communicate those as they are put into place,” said Governor Scott. “It’s important to remember that in times of crisis we all need to make sacrifices. But Vermonters, and all Americans, have risen to many challenges before, and this time will be no different.”

Details on the specific actions taken are outlined in the Governor’s Executive Order, which is available by clicking here. Addendum 1, reducing gathering size, is available by clicking here and Addendum 2, closing bars and restaurants, is available by clicking here.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Florian

9 thoughts on “Gov. Scott announces bars and restaurants must close or offer takeout only

    • This was not done for the flu which has 3 times greater deaths and severe illness w/vaccine at less than 50% efficacy rate.

      I do not think its legal to close schools and businesses – if it is – Comrade Phil and the rest of the tyrants need to show the statute – phantom outbreaks based on other states numbers don’t count. Half the deaths were in one state – 3000 miles away – all were confined, elderly and had other conditions.

      The ‘presumed positive’ are being aggregated with the confirmed positive. Greatest death counts were in China, Italy and Iran. Our borders are shut and flights stopped.

      VT businesses should reopen – if for no other reason than to force the heavy hand of govt which the VT Democrat-Communist party and sidekick Comrade Phil do not want to happen as its not a good look. And the beginning of the lawsuits against our state which they have been stealing from and have now bankrupted. Of course he can always ask their permission first.

      My crystal ball sez this could be the first card that topples their house of cards w/landslide losses as smart sane ppl run on this gross mismanagement. What they really fear is nothing dire will happen and they will be exposed as the ship of fools they all are.

  1. Vermont zoning across the board has discouraged any business with drive through, it’s in many places across our entire state.

    We have in our three towns. It’s all about the “traffic” what “type” of business we find “acceptable” interesting times.

    • The doctor Wolfgang video was quite enlightening……and they are saying China is completely open for business now. You’ll coincidentally notice which companies are taking super drastic measures…lean a certain direction, Nike for example.

      It will be interesting to say the least on how this all unfolds. If it’s an epic media, propaganda bs story……there will hopefully be some light bulbs that go off.

    • Roland….thinking about this. Look at the numbers, they increase, but not much, not exponentially. We’ll easily be able to call hoax within a week.

      Check this out. 80,000 infected x2 =160,000 Monday 320,000 by Tuesday 640,000 by Wednesday, 1,280,000 by Thursday 2,560,000 by Friday

      Saturday 5,120,000
      Sunday 10,240,000

      That’s in one weeks time. My guess is the reason other countries, with no sanitation, no testing and no good medical systems are not reporting…is because…

      It’s a regular flu season!

      The numbers in Italy should be exploding and they aren’t only increasing.

      The real reason China through out all the press is they don’t want it discovered that nothing really happened.

      Meanwhile they can watch the USA implode out of ignorance, fear, propaganda and they don’t have to do anything but sit back and laugh. It’s the perfect way to bring down the country.

      The numbers aren’t adding up. Within a week we should easily, easily be able to declare this a hoax.

    • “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
      ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

      “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
      ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

      They can read our press, like their own, propaganda, censored, like Google and Facebook willingly do for their country.

  2. Here we continue to get ORDERS from the gov. Let people do what they think is best for them. Cradle to grave.

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