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Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today published Attorney General’s Directive to Law Enforcement on the Enforcement of COVID-19 Emergency Order. The directive is geared toward law enforcement, including state’s attorneys, sheriffs, and police. The directive establishes that the Attorney General will bring all enforcement actions related to the COVID-19 Emergency Order and provides steps for how law enforcement should approach noncompliant businesses and individuals.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced a directive, issued March 31^st by the Secretary in agreement with the Governor under the authority grated in Act 92, §3 (2020), allowing for the postponement of municipal elections.

“The current public health crisis has been a serious test for all of us, and it’s also testing our democracy,” said Secretary Condos. “Enabling municipalities to postpone upcoming mandated local elections to a later date is in the best interest of the public’s health, and the health of poll workers and municipal officials, during this critical stage of effort to slow community spread of the coronavirus.”

Vermont Business Magazine For the nearly 36 million Americans who experience panic attacks, the coronavirus pandemic is a potentially significant new trigger, a recent story in the Washington Post reported. For panic attack sufferers facing these new anxieties, there is little recourse. Medication is minimally effective and has side effects. Cognitive behavioral therapy doesn’t work for nearly two-thirds of panic sufferers. And bio-feedback, which has shown promise, is cumbersome and impractical to use outside a laboratory or clinical setting.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Public Service wants you to know that Vermont’s broadband networks have enough bandwidth to support widespread telehealth and distance learning. That said, you need to know that there are households and businesses in Vermont that may not have enough bandwidth for multiple users at one time.

Vermont Business Magazine The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the US Department of Homeland Security is giving public notice of its intent to provide financial assistance to the State of Vermont, local governments, and private nonprofit organizations under the national emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, as a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Vermont Business Magazine As the enormity of the impact of COVID-19 has become clear, Vermonters across the state are stepping forward to support their neighbors, connecting those in need with those that can help. Community response teams and mutual aid networks are emerging across Vermont to recruit willing volunteers and connect them with neighbors who are looking for help. Volunteer efforts include grocery and medicine delivery, accessing key benefits and resources, phone trees to check in on vulnerable neighbors, technology support, pet care, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont unemployment insurance claims increased exponentially last week as layoffs and business closures caused as expected a severe spiked in the number of claims. At the height of the Great Recession in 2009, under 39,000 claims were filed for the entire year. Last week alone 14,633 new claims were filed, an increase of 10,849 in one week. As reported today, the US unemployment rate for March jumped to 4.4 percent in March, the highest rate since August 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bank, with branches in Northwestern Vermont, has announced adjustments to branch access designed to enable continued banking service while maintaining strong protocols for social distancing and cleaning. To help stop the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and ensure the health and safety of employees and customers, all in-person banking transactions are being conducted through drive-up lanes and walk-up windows. Hours of operation have been adjusted, and some offices have been temporarily consolidated with nearby locations.

Center for Research on Vermont The Vermont Research News at UVM is a bi-monthly curated collection of Vermont research -- focused on research in the Vermont "laboratory" -- research that provides original knowledge to the world and research that adds to an understanding of the state's social, economic, cultural and physical environment.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The growth rate in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Vermont slowing down, which has led to cautious optimism among top Scott Administration officials that Vermont will experience a much less severe spread of the disease than worst-case scenario projections. The current models project the “peak” of cases between mid-to-late April and early May.

Officials emphasized that the social distancing sacrifices Vermonters are making by staying at home are working, and the following weeks will be critical to saving lives. They also said that the peak will come later, and thus be less severe, if people stay the course.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Donovan today issued a Directive to Lodging Operations on the Enforcement of COVID-19 Emergency Order. The directive supports the Attorney General’s ongoing effort to promote voluntary compliance with Governor Scott’s Executive Order by providing Vermonters with education and outreach during the COVID-19 crisis. To date, this effort has included making telephone contact with 41 lodging operations identified by law enforcement as not complying with the Governor’s orders earlier this week.

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine Contrary to earlier expectations -- from another era, two weeks ago – Vermont's road construction season has been pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. Expectations had been high at the Agency of Transportation (VTrans). In a letter dated March 19, the agency and Associated General Contractors of Vermont announced that "the date for the start of the Construction Season for all contracts is moved from April 15, 2020 to March 23, 2020 with the intent to add 3 weeks to every contract."