COVID-19 Local Resource Guide

A local resource guide 

Covid-19 101 

Health services 

Need to know 

Food services 

Social services 

Inside: 

Produced in partnership with: 

Mou nta i n Ti m e s


What is Coronavirus and Covid-19? 

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory infections like bronchitis, 

pneumonia or severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Covid-19 is the specific illness caused by this novel coronavirus. Covid-19 specifically causes a respiratory 

infection with common signs including respiratory symptoms, fever, coughing, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. 

How mitigation measures worked to keep 

cases, deaths lower than projected 

By Polly Miula 

Since the first confirmed case of 

Covid-19 in Vermont on March 7, 

Governor Phil Scott and his administration 

has taken swift action to 

shore up the necessary supplies 

for testing and treatment, expand 

medical facilities to handle a surge 

of patients should demand overtake 

hospital capacity, and implement 

mitigation measures for social 

distancing to flatten the curve of 

infection. 

Although, at first, testing was 

not widely available and hospitals 

and clinics had to ration personal 

protective equipment (PPE), the 

governor and his team worked creatively 

and successfully to increase 

supplies and got them both faster 

and in greater quantity than neighboring 

states. 

By the end of March anyone with 

symptoms of Covid-19 could get a 

test, via their primary care doctor’s 

recommendation. 

While supplies of PPE were still 

being rationed to some extent at 

the end of April —Rutland Regional 

Medical Center continued to reuse 

N-95 masks after putting them in 

paper bags for five days to disinfect, 

(FAQs page 5)— 

the state reported 

that within weeks 

of the first confirmed 

case it had 

enough supply to 

get through the 

highest projected 

surge. 

But perhaps the most effective 

measures that Scott took were the 

mitigation measures he put in place 

by executive order. 

On March 13, he declared a State 

of Emergency, but started mitigation 

orders slowly by limiting nonessential 

public gatherings to 250 

or less at first. (He then decreased 

that number every few days until the 

max was set to 10 on March 21.) 

The closure of Pre-K-12 schools 

on March 15 was the first of many 

that required major life adjustments 

for many Vermonters. 

Bars and restaurants were next to 

close on March 16. 

On March 21 he ordered the 

2 • Covid-19 Local Guide • April 24, 2020 

Governor Phil Scott 

closure of close-contact businesses, 

followed on March 24 by the stricter 

“Stay Home, Stay Safe” order, which 

closed all in-person operations for 

all non-essential businesses and 

directed Vermonters to stay at home, 

leaving only for essential reasons, 

critical to health and safety. 

On April 10 he extended the State 

of Emergency declaration and all 

“The more quickly and closely we follow these 

stay-at-home measures, the faster and safer we 

can get through this and get our daily lives, and 

our economy, moving again,” said Governor Scott. 

subsequent mitigation measures 

through May 15. (See detailed time 

line on page 3.) 

“I need all Vermonters to understand 

that the more quickly and 

closely we follow these stay-athome 

measures, the faster and safer 

we can get through this and get our 

daily lives, and our economy, moving 

again. I have tremendous faith in 

Vermonters and our ability to follow 

these guidelines, to save lives and 

support each other throughout – 

even as we are physical separated,” 

Scott said. 

“Vermonters are literally saving 

hundreds of lives by staying home,” 

Scott reminded his constituents 

frequently. 

“We will continue to watch the 

trends, and as soon as the data 

shows a downward trend, we can 

open the spigot, a quarter turn at 

a time, to get folks back to work in 

a way that’s responsible and safe. 

Please know, I will work every hour 

of every day, for as long as it takes, 

to see Vermont through this and to 

help rebuild stronger than we were 

before.” 

Phased reopening 

The April 10 extension order, 

however, authorizes lodging operators 

to accept reservations for stays 

and events occurring on June 15 or 

later. 

Next, on April 17, Scott announced 

a phased restart of the 

economy, allowing small crews/ 

offices of one-two people to reopen 

on April 20 and for retailers to open 

for delivery and curb-side service. 

It also allowed farmers’ markets to 

open May 1. 

Scott announced that more 

measures would be relaxed each 

Friday so long as the positive trends 

continued. 

Scott emphasized that reopening 

was only possible 

because the mitigation 

measures 

had worked to 

slow the expected 

spread of the 

virus. 

Specifically, 

the state’s modeling 

at that time showed the growth 

rate in new cases had averaged below 

4% for the last 12 days, the rate 

at which cases double had slowed 

dramatically, and the number of 

people requiring hospitalizations 

remained stable. 

“We’re seeing some promising 

results and continue to trend below 

even the best-case scenarios predicted 

in recent forecasting,” said 

Scott. 

The governor’s measured, 

phased approach to reopen the 

economy balances the need to improve 

overall social and economic 

wellbeing with the need to prevent a 

resurgence of Covid-19 outbreaks. 

Stay healthy & safe 

5 ways to protect yourself and others 

1. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds 

with antibacterial soap and water. By doing 

this you eliminate viruses and avoid infection by 

then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose. 

2. Utilize hand sanitizer (60% alcohol or more) 

when hand washing is not an immediate option. 

3. Remain home as much as possible. Self-quarantine 

is the best way to help prevent spread. 

4. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects 

and surfaces — including your phone. 

5. Wear a cloth mask covering your mouth and 

nose if you need to leave your home for an essential 

purpose or will be near other people. 

If you are sick or concerned about your health, call 

your healthcare provider by phone. Please avoid going 

to the hospital, except in a life-threatening situation. 

Courtesy of RRMC 

A medical professional wearing a face mask for training 

at the Spartan Arena surge site holds up instructions for 

how to handwash properly.


New and cumulative cases of Covid-19 in Vermont 

Courtesy of the Vermont Department of Health 

3/8/20 

3/15/20 

3/22/20 

3/29/20 

4/5/20 

4/12/20 

“Stay Home, Stay Safe” order 

Charts show positive trends compared to earlier modeling of case volumes 

Governor Phil Scott gradually began reopening the state economy due to modeling mid-April that continued to show significantly slowing of new confirmed cases. The charts above 

show various earlier projections of case volume compared to the actual number reported . As you can see reality beat all but the very best case projection (shown in purple). The bar 

graph at the bottom shows new cases per day — evidence that Vermonters have been successful at “flattening the curve” here, at least thus far. 

Vermont’s response to Covid-19, a timeline of executive orders 

• April 17, Governor Scott ordered the U.S. and Vermont flags to fly at half-mast the 19th of every month of 2020 to honor those Vermonters who died from Covid-19. 

• April 17, Governor Scott announced a phased restart of Vermont’s economy, where 1-2 people operations can open following strict safety and social distancing protocols. 

• April 14, Governor Scott announced the establishment of the State of Vermont Economic Mitigation & Recovery Task Force. 

• April 10, Governor Scott extended Vermont’s State of Emergency through May 15, which also extended the expiration of all other mitigation directives. 

• April 7, Governor Phil Scott requested federal disaster funds. April 8 the request was approved. (All 50 states were under a disaster declaration for first time in U.S. history.) 

• April 2, Governor Scott announced additional medical surge locations, expanding the state capacity by hundreds of beds including a surge location at Spartan Arena for 

Rutland Regional Medical Center adding 150 beds. 

• March 30, Governor Scott ordered residents and non-residents coming from outside the state for anything other than an essential purpose to home-quarantine for 14 

days and strongly discouraged travel to Vermont by those located in Covid-19 “hot spots” designated by the CDC. 

• March 26, Governor Scott directed schools to remain dismissed for in-person instruction through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. 

• March 24, Governor Scott issued a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order and directed the closure of in-person operations for all non-essential businesses (effective March 25-April 15). 

• March 23, Governor Scott ordered telecommuting or work from home procedures for all businesses and not-for-profit entities, to the maximum extent possible. 

• March 21, Governor Scott ordered the closure of close-contact businesses. 

• March 21, Governor Scott further restricted non-essential gatherings to 10 or less people. 

• March 20, Governor Scott ordered suspension of all non-essential adult elective surgery and medical surgical procedures. 

• March 19, Governor Scott authorized takeout and delivery of alcoholic beverages with food orders. 

• March 18, Governor Scott suspended in-person transactions at the Department of Motor Vehicles. 

• March 17, Governor Scott directed childcare centers to close. 

• March 16, Governor Scott ordered the closure of all bars and restaurants (takeout and delivery service are still permitted.) 

• March 16, Governor Scott restricted gatherings to 50 or less or 50% of occupancy of a facility. 

• March 15, Governor Scott directed the dismissal of Pre-K-12 schools. 

• March 13, Governor Scott restricted visitor access at long-term care facilities. 

• March 13, Governor Scott declared a State of Emergency. 

• March 13, Governor Scott restricted non-essential gatherings of more than 250 people in a single room or a single space; and prohibited all non-essential out-of-state 

travel by state employees. 

• March 7, the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Vermont. 

For more information or to see current executive orders visit governor.vermont.gov. 

Covid-19 Local Guide • April 24, 2020 • 3

How Rutland Regional Medical Center 

prepared for peak outbreak 

CEO Claudio Fort says hospital is “ok for now” on PPE 

By Polly Mikula 

Health services 

Courtesy of Rutland Regional Medcal Center 

Rutland area nurses train at Castleton University’s Spartan Arena, which was converted to a surge location for 100-150 

non-Covid-19 patients, should demand at Rutland Regional Medical Center exceed its capacity. 

Emergency contacts 

• Call 9-1-1 for all emergencies. 

• Call your primary care physician or a community health clinic if you are sick or 

think that you have symptoms of Covid- 19. 

• Department of Childrens and Families: 1-800-649-5285 or dcf.vermont.gov/ 

cdd/covid-19 

• Domestic and sexual abuse: 802-775-3232 or nscvt.org 

• Vermont State Police: 802-244-8727 or vsp.vermont.gov/covid19 

On April 2, Governor Phil Scott announced new steps 

in the state’s plan to prepare for a surge in Covid-19 

cases, and in turn, the need for additional hospital and 

medical capacity. 

“While we hope we will not need this extra capacity, 

our modeling indicates we must be prepared for a significant 

surge in medical care to treat Covid-19 patients. 

We are taking these steps to ensure we are as prepared as 

possible for what could come,” Scott said. 

The plan added 950 beds, at surge sites, to the 662 

currently available beds throughout the state. Rutland 

Regional Medical Center added 100-150 of those and 

constructed the site at Castleton University’s Spartan 

Arena. 

“Rutland is proud to support these efforts to address 

increased medical need due to Covid-19,” said Claudio 

Fort, president and chief executive officer of Rutland 

Regional Medical Center. “Our teams are working closely 

with all of our health care partners to protect our staff 

and keep our communities safe.” 

It was a regional effort. Firefighters from City of Rutland 

Fire Department and Rutland Town Fire Department 

laid down the floor at Spartan Arena. 

“It takes a community, and we thank these first 

responders for stepping up and ‘stomping’ that floor,” 

RRMC wrote on its Facebook page. 

While earlier in April the surge sites seemed prudent, 

by the end of the month it seemed unlikely that they’d be 

utilized. 

Before RRMC would have a need to utilize the Spartan 

Area surge location, it would first open up other areas of 

the hospital: “Once we exceeded the capacity within the 

hospital we’ll move to alternative care sites outside the 

hospital,” said Fort. 

When the hospital converts a section, wing or floor, 

to handle more Covid-19 patients, it converts the space 

to be a “negative pressure area,” explained Tom Rounds, 

RN and director of the RRMC Emergency Department, 

during an interview with Tom Donahue of BROC on 

PEGTV. To create a negative pressure area “machines 

draw down the pressure in that space and exhaust it out 

of the building,” he said, which helps protect the other 

patients and the staff from airborne pathogens and 

helps to reduce the spread of the virus. 

RRMC prepared > 26 

Rutland County 

health clinics: 

Community Health Centers of Rutland Region 

Rutland Allen Pond 

71 Allen Pond, Suite 403, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 772-7992 

Rutland Stratton Road 

215 Stratton Road, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 773-3386 

Brandon 

420 Grove Street, Brandon, VT 

Phone: (802)247-6305 

Castleton 

275 Rte 30 North, Bomoseen, VT 

Phone: (802)468-5641 

West Pawlet/Mettowee 

278 VT Route 149, West Pawlet, VT 

Phone: (802)645-0580 

Shorewell 

2987 VT Route 22A, Shoreham, VT 

Phone: (802) 897-7000 

Common Street Health Center 

145 Allen St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 773-1321 

Convenient Medical Care 

25 N Main St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 775-8032 

Park Street Healthshare 

145 State St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 775-1360 

Express Care Castleton 

275 Route 30 North, Bomoseen, VT 

Phone: (802) 468-5641 

ClearChoiceMD Urgent Care 

173 S Main St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 772-4165 

Specialty: 

Killington Medical Clinic 

3902 Killington Rd, Killington, VT 

Phone: (802) 422-6125 

Rutland Regional Behavioral Health 

1 Commons St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 747-1857 

Rutland Community Based Outpatient Clinic 

(Veteran’s Hospital) 

232 West St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: (802) 772-2300 

Covid-19 info resources 

• The Vermont Department of Health: healthvermont.gov/covid19 

• Vermont 211: Call 2-1-1 or text your zipcode to 898211 or visit vermont211.org. 

• Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development: accd.vermont. 

gov/covid-19 

• The World Health Organization: who.int 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov 

• Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center: coronavirus.jhu.edu 

4 • Covid-19 Local Guide • April 24, 2020

How can you help prevent 

getting the virus? 

• Stay at least 6 feet away from 

others. Stay at home as much as 

possible. 

• Avoid close contact with people 

who are sick. 

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, 

and mouth. 

• Stay home when you are sick. 

• Cover your coughs and sneezes 

with your sleeve or a tissue, then 

throw the tissue in the trash. 

• Clean and disinfect frequently 

touched objects and surfaces using 

a regular household cleaning 

spray or wipe. Do not flush wipes. 

• Wash your hands often with soap 

and water for at least 20 seconds, 

especially after going to the bathroom; 

before eating; and after 

blowing your nose, coughing, or 

sneezing. 

• If soap and water are not readily 

available, use an alcohol-based 

hand sanitizer with at least 60% 

alcohol. 

What are the symptoms ? 

Symptoms reported for patients with 

Covid-19 include mild to severe respiratory 

illness: fever, cough, shortness of 

breath. Call your health care professional 

if you develop symptoms and have been 

in close contact with a person known to 

have Covid-19. Find more information on 

the Health Department’s website: healthvermont.gov/Covid19. 

What should I do if I think I 

may have Covid-19? 

Isolate at home: Don’t leave home, 

except to get medical care. Call ahead 

before visiting a health care provider or 

emergency department. Most people 

with mild illness can recover at home. 

While there is no specific treatment for 

Covid-19, you should get plenty of rest, 

drink plenty of fluids, and take feverreducing 

medication if needed. As much 

as possible, stay in a specific room in your 

home and use a separate bathroom. Stay 

at least six feet away from others in your 

home at all times. Don’t share household 

items. 

What about my pets? 

If you are sick, have someone else care 

for your pets. Although no animals have 

been reported to get sick with Covid-19, 

people with the virus should limit contact 

with animals until more information 

is known. Just like other objects, it is 

thought that the virus could live on the 

surface of your pet for some amount of 

time. If you do care for your pet, wash 

your hands before and after. 

When can I stop isolating? 

People with Covid-19 who have stayed 

home (home isolated) can stop home 

Need to know 

Answers to Vermonters’ frequently asked questions 

isolation, even without a negative test, 

under the following conditions: 

• You have had no fever for at least 

72 hours (that is three full days of 

no fever without the use of medicine 

that reduces fevers) AND 

• other symptoms have improved 

(for example, when your cough or 

shortness of breath have improved) 

AND 

• at least 7 days have passed since 

your symptoms first appeared 

If testing is available to you then you 

can stop home isolation after: 

• You no longer have a fever (without 

the use medicine that reduces 

fevers) AND 

• other symptoms have improved 

(for example, when your cough or 

shortness of breath have improved) 

AND 

• you received two negative tests 

in a row, 24 hours apart. (CDC 

guidelines may change, so always 

adhere to the current protocol.) 

Can people who recover from 

Covid-19 be infected again? 

The immune response to Covid-19 

is not yet understood. Patients with 

another type of coronavirus, MERS-CoV 

(also known as MERS) are unlikely to be 

re-infected shortly after they recover, but 

it is not yet known whether this is true for 

people sick from Covid-19. 

What is isolation, quarantine and 

self-observation? 

Isolation is for people who are sick 

with Covid-19. Quarantine is for people 

with no symptoms and who were in close 

contact with someone sick with Covid-19 

or are returning to Vermont from out of 

the state. 

Self-observation is for other Vermonters 

who don’t have symptoms (something 

we should all always be doing). 

How long can the virus live 

on surfaces? 

Per CDC: Current evidence suggests 

that novel coronavirus may live for hours 

to days on surfaces made from a variety of 

materials. 

According to a recent study published in 

the New England Journal of Medicine, the 

Covid-19 virus is viable for up to 72 hours 

on plastics, 48 hours on stainless steel, 24 

hours on cardboard, and four hours on 

copper. It is also detectable in the air for 

three hours. 

But there are certainly a lot of conflicting 

reports. Dr. Rick A. Hildebrant, chief medical 

information officer and medical director 

for hospital medicine at RRMC, said the 

virus “lasts the longest on stainless steel 

for some reason. For paper, it seems to last 

for about 3 days,” he added. So with paper 

masks and paper respirators at the hospital 

they simply put them in a bag for five days 

“then we consider them sterilized,” he said. 

The same could be done with your mail, he 

suggested. 

Is it safe to grocery shop? 

Currently there is no evidence to show 

that Covid-19 is spread through food or 

food packaging. However, there is concern 

about the ability to keep physical distance 

from other shoppers and to reduce your 

risk of getting sick while getting groceries. 

The Vermont Retail & Grocers Association 

has a regularly updated list of what retailers 

and grocers throughout the state are 

doing to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. 

These services range from limited delivery, 

to curbside pickup and designated shopping 

hours for vulnerable populations. Visit 

vtrga.org. 

Anyone who is sick or thinks they might 

be sick should stay home. Ask a family 

member, friend or neighbor to help you get 

your groceries, or see about having food 

delivered. 

When you leave the store, you should 

wash your hands or use hand sanitizer. 

What soap is best? 

“Broadly speaking there are two kinds 

of soaps that you can buy: there antibacterial 

soaps and then there’s nonanti-bacterial 

soap,” explained Dr. Rick A. 

Hildebrant. “This is not a bacteria so an 

anti-bacterial soap is not going to be any 

more affective than a regular soap… just 

make sure you are washing your hands appropriately,” 

he said referencing a meme 

“imagine you’re chopping up jalapenos 

and then you have to take your contacts 

out, use that level of diligence washing 

your hands and you’ll be sure that you’re 

appropriately cleaning them.” 

Do homemade face 

masks work? 

Dr. Rick A. Hildebrant summarized this 

the best, saying, “Paper masks prevent 

others from getting your sickness. It only 

works if everyone wears them because 

then those who are sick won’t be infecting 

others (many might not know they’re sick). 

“N95 respirators actually filter 95% 

of the particles that you inhale. They are 

designed to protect health care workers 

from getting ill from others. 

“Yes, cloth and paper masks work if everyone 

wears them but they do not protect 

you individually from getting ill,” he said. 

Just to be clear, he recommends 

everyone wear them in public. Just as the 

governor does. 

I have a second home or a 

seasonal home in Vermont. 

Can I come to Vermont? 

If you are a second or seasonal homeowner 

(including an RV located in Vermont), 

you are encouraged to stay in your 

primary home unless you don’t have other 

options. If you do travel to Vermont from 

out-of-state, you must do a 14-day quarantine 

as soon as you arrive and comply 

with all of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order. 

How will we know when it is 

safe to relax social distancing? 

Leaders around the world are constantly 

working with scientists and other 

experts to come up with plans to relax 

stay-at-home orders and reopen the 

economy. The risk is opening up too much 

too quickly and causing the virus to ramp 

up again, potentially causing another 

spike of cases. Most agree that testing has 

to be available to everyone that shows 

even mild symptoms with contact tracing 

to quarantine all who may be contagious 

to limit viral spread. 

Governor Scott’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” 

order extends through May 15. But some 

relaxing measures have been put in place 

and more are likely to follow. 

For more information visit apps.health. 

vermont.gov/Covid/faq. 


Stepping up to feed Rutland County 

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed many services, qualification parameters and protocols for accessing services provided — including food services. Here is a list of resources 

for those needing assistance, or not —grocery store hours have also changed to allow for sanitation and restocking as well as senior hours and/or density limitations. 

Grocery stores update 

hours, offerings 

Price Chopper in Rutland and West Rutland is open 

for one hour in the morning from 6 a.m.-7 a.m. specifically 

for customers 60+ or other vulnerable shoppers. They 

are open to the general public from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Hannaford in Rutland is open for one hour in the 

morning from 6 a.m.-7 a.m. specifically for customers 

60+ or other vulnerable shoppers. They are open to the 

general public from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Tops Market in Rutland is open for two hours in the 

morning from 6-8 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday 

specifically for customers 60+ or other vulnerable shoppers. 

They are open to the general public daily from 6 a.m. 

to 10 p.m. 

Aldi’s in Rutland is open for one hour in the morning 

from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday specifically 

for cusomters 60+ or other vulnerable shoppers. It 

is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Also, Aldi will 

limit the number of people inside its stores to approximately 

five customers per 1,000 square feet. 

Rutland Co-Op is offering curbside pick up when 

you email your order first. 

Vermont Farmers Food Center in Rutland offers 

online local food market with curbside pickup from 

10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. It will open May 1. 

Walmart is open 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. On Tuesdays 

they will be allowing anyone 60+ access to the store an 

hour before opening from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. 

Junction Store and Deli in Brandon is offering 

curbside pick up and takeout, call ahead. 

Hannaford in Brandon is open for one hour in the 

morning from 7 a.m.-8 a.m. specifically for customers 

60+ or or other vulnerable shoppers. They are open to 

the general public from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Union Street Grocery in Brandon is open from 8 

a.m- 7 p.m. and offers curbside pick up if you call first. 

Kamuda’s County Market in Pittsford is open for 

shopping 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. M-F, closing earlier Saturday and 

Sunday. They also offer curbside pick up and delivery. 

Keith’s Country Store in Pittsford is offering curbside 

pickup. 

Pierce’s store in Shrewsbury allows you to order in 

advance and pick up curbside, and recommends checking 

Facebook. 

Wallingford Locker allows you to call first for curbside 

pickup. 

Forest Dale Grocery and deli is open from 7 a.m.-8 

p.m. Mon-Sat and 8-7 Sunday. Call and pay over the 

phone for curbside pickup. 

Hubbard’s Country Store in Hancock is open Sun.- 

Thurs. 10 a.m. -6 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. They 

encourage customers to call ahead so items are ready for 

pick up when they arrive. 

Woodstock Farmer’s Market is open for curbside 

pick up only. Pickups may be schedule or Tues.-Sat. from 

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. online. 

Shaw’s in Poultney has senior shopping hours on 

Tuesday and Thursday from 7-9 a.m. 

East Poultney General Store is opening as normal, 

from 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. and offers delivery within a reasonable 

distance. 

Killington Market is open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. 

(Call or check online for store specific updates.) 


Food services 

A senior citizen enjoys empty aisle and well-stocked shelves as she grocery shops early in the morning. 

Submitted 

Food services for seniors, kids, or 

those cash-strapped or home-bound 

Restaurant takeout 

Many restaurants in Rutland County are offering delivery services and/or takeout by curbside pickup. Please 

call restaurants independently to find out their capabilities. Check out the Downtown Rutland Vermont website for 

restaurant specific information at downtownrutland.com/news/Covid-19. 

3SquaresVT 

Has your household lost pay? Have your childcare expenses increased? 3SquaresVT is here for you and your 

family to help put food on the table! You may be eligible to receive a 3SquaresVT benefit or increase the benefit you 

already receive. At the current time, individuals who are unemployed, or experienced a partial or total decrease in 

hourly work do not need to meet a work requirement. To find out more and get help applying dial 2-1-1 or 1-855-855- 

6181, text VFBSNAP to 855-11 or visit dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/3SquaresVT. 

Southwest Council on Aging, Meals on Wheels 

Meals on Wheels is providing drive-up pickup meals on Mondays and Thursdays at noon at the Godnick Center, 

1 Deer St. in Rutland. Meals on Wheels eligibility has shifted so that anyone 60+, not just homebound seniors, can 

receive food. The Southwest Council on Aging started a grocery delivery service in Rutland and Bennington County, 

which relies on volunteers aged 18 and over. Reservation for pick-up must be made by Thursday for Monday pick-up 

and Monday for a Thursday pick-up. These meals are funded through the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging. 

Suggested donation of $3.50/meal for 60+ and $6/meal for those 59 or under. Please call 773-1853 and leave a message 

with your name and phone number to reserve a meal. For more info visit svcoa.org. 

Vermont Food Bank, VeggieVanGo 

Vermont Food Bank is also offering a meal programs and aid including for Vermonters age 60 and older. Meals can 

be picked up or delivered. For more information, please call the Helpline at 1-800-642-5119 or visit vtfoodbank.org. 

VeggieVanGo provides fresh and healthy foods at schools and hospitals around Vermont. The Vermont Foodbank’s 

VeggieVanGo offers fresh produce as well as education and outreach to improve food security. SNAP outreach 

team is also at the ready to assist participants with information about 3SquaresVT. It serves hundreds of families 

every month. 

The VeggieVanGo will be at 92 Park Street (not Northwest Elementary) in Rutland, on the first and third Fridays 

Food services > 7

Food services 

By Jason Mikula 

Killington Resort president and CEO Mike Solimano carries prepackaged groceries to a resident’s car trunk. 

Food services: Many organizations are working to ensure Rutland County residents are fed 

from page 6 

from 10-11 a.m. (April 17 and 24, but the May 1 distribution has been rescheduled to Tuesday, May 5 from 10-11 a.m.) 

It will be at Rutland High School from 9-10 a.m. fourth Thursday of the month (April 23, 30, May 7, 14, etc.) 

Visit vtfoodbank.org/share-food/veggievango. 

School meals 

All school districts in Vermont are making meals available during the current closure. These meals are free for all 

children 18 and under. While no paperwork is needed to access these meals, however, submitting a meal application 

can help your school continue to offer nutritious meals in uncertain times. If your household finances have 

changed, consider filling out a meal application. School districts provide meals to students either by central pick up 

sites or delivery with school buses. For more information about meals for kids under 18 contact the school district 

your town is in: 

Rutland Town, Poultney, Proctor, Middletown Springs, Wells, West Rutland visit: wp.grcsu.org 

Clarendon, Shrewsbury, Tinmouth, Wallingford visit: millriverschools.org/schools 

Benson, Castleton, Fair Haven, Orwell visit: slatevalleyunified.org 

Rutland City Public Schools visit: rutlandcitypublicschools.org 

Barstow, Lothrop, Neshobe, Leicester, Sudbury, Whiting visit: rnesu.org 

Killington, Pittsfield visit: wcsu.net 

WIC 

WIC (a USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for women, infants children) provides healthy foods, 

nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and community referrals to eligible Vermonters who 

are pregnant, caregivers, or a parent with a child under 5. Vermont WIC is open and most services are being done by 

phone appointment to align with social distancing efforts. WIC has also temporarily expanded their food list to add 

options for some hard to find items. For more info call 1-800-649-4357 visit healthvermont.gov/family/wic or text 

VTWIC to 855-11. 

Hunger Free Vermont 

Hunger Free Vermont is working diligently to ensure all Vermonters have access to the resources they need to stay 

healthy and nourished during this challenging time. It prepares informational materials, collaborates with state 

agencies and Vermont’s congressional delegation, and connects with communities across Vermont to mitigate the 

impacts of coronavirus on the food security of Vermonters, particularly older adults, working Vermonters who may 

lose hours and paychecks, those without access to paid leave, and families and students who will be disproportionately 

impacted by school closings. 

Hunger Free Vermont publishes important changes to school meal programs, 3SquaresVT, and other nutrition 

programs at hungerfreevt.org/coronavirus. 

Prepackaged groceries in Killingotn 

Killington Resort, the town of Killington and Castleton Lodge at Killington have organized three prepackaged grocery 

giveways, with possibly more to come. In mid-March Killington Resort hosted their first food giveway, then held 

another April 21. On April 23, Castleton Lodge at Killington hosted a give-away and the town is planning one on May 5. 

Vermont Foodbank and Vermont National Guard to provide meals 

The Vermont Foodbank and Vermont National Guard will distribute food to those in need at five different areas of Vermont 

beginning on Wednesday, April 22. These points of distribution will help ease demand on food shelves around that 

state that have seen a surge in demand. The National Guard will set up and operate Points of Distribution (PODs) at state 

airports. Those in need of food can go to these locations on the appointed days and receive a seven-day supply of Meals 

Ready-to-Eat (MRE) for each member of their household. 

“The Vermont Foodbank has seen a 30 to 100% increase in the number of people in need of food assistance due to Covid-19. 

This is straining the capacity of the charitable food system and these points of distribution will help get additional 

meals to people while taking some pressure off our network of food shelves and meal sites,” Vermont Foodbank CEO John 

Sayles said. 

Locally the National Guard was at Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport, in, North Clarendon on April 24. 

Food shelves in 

Rutland County 

BROC Community Action 

Hours open: Mon-Fri. 10 a.m.-12 p.m., 

Senior hours Friday 2-3 p.m. 

Location: 45 Union St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: 802-775-0878 

Black River Good Neighbor Services, 

Thrift Store/Food Shelf 

Hours Open: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Location: 37B Main St., Ludlow, VT 

Phone: 802-228-3663 

Brandon Area Emergency Food Shelf 

Hours open: Mon., Wed., Fri.: 8:30-9 a.m. 

*Delivery Only, Call Ahead 

Location: Brandon Congregational Church, 

Union Street, Brandon, VT 

Phone: 802-247-6720 

Castleton Cares Inc. 

Hours open: by appointment only 

Location: 504 Main Street, Castleton, VT 

Phone: 802-468-5101 

Fair Haven Concerned 

Hours open: Mon.-Fri. 10-11 a.m. 

Location: 73 Main St., Fair Haven, VT 

Location: 802-265-3666 

Killington Food Shelf 

Hours open: by appointment only, 

call 802-422-9244 and ask for Nan Salamon 

Location: Sherburne United Church of Christ (a.k.a. 

“the little white church”), 2326 US Route 4, Killington, VT 

Phone: 802-422-9244 

Poultney Food Shelf Inc 

Hours open: Tuesdays, 3-5 p.m. 

Location: 66 Beaman St, Poultney, VT 

Phone: 802-287-9558 

Rutland County Parent Child Center Food Pantry 

Hours open: Fridays 1-3 p.m. 

Location: 61 Pleasant Street, Rutland, VT 

Phone: 802-775-9711 

Rutland County Parent Child Center Food Pantry 

Hours open: Fridays 1- 3 p.m. 

Location: 34 Faivre Circle, Brandon, VT 

Contact: info@rcpcc.org 

Rutland Community Cupboard 

Hours open: Mon. 11-12:30, Tues. 4-5:30, 

Wed. 11-12:30, Thurs. 4-5:30, Fri. 11-12:30. 

Location: 65 River St, Rutland, VT 

Phone: 802-747-6119 

South Royalton Area Food Shelf 

Hours open: Thursday 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 

and 5 p.m.-7 p.m. 

Location: 2955 VT-14, South Royalton, VT 

Phone: 802-587-2621 

Wallingford Food Shelf 

Hours open: Tues. and Thurs. from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 

Location: Wallingford Town Hall, 

75 School St., Wallingford, VT 

Phone: 802-446-2336 

Woodstock Community Food Shelf 

Hours open: Monday: 4-6 p.m.; 

Wednesday: 1-3 p.m., Saturday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. 

Address: 217 Maxham Meadow Way, Woodstock, VT 

Phone: 802-457-1185 

(Additional food shelves are popping up as demand 

warrants and this list will be updated online. Please call 

802-422-2399 if there area additional food shelves in our 

community that should be included.) 


Parents’ helpline is open 

Support for parents is vital for children’s well being 

“We understand isolation... can 

be very challenging for families with 

children,” stated Ed Bride, deputy/ 

development director at Prevent 

Child Abuse Vermont (PCAVT). 

Young children need and actually 

thrive with predictable 

structure to their days, as well 

as attention and interactive 

play. They need their naps 

and their down time too, as 

well as exercise and time to play 

outdoors, Bride said. 

Older kids need peers as well as 

alone time. Phone and computer 

time allowing for Skype and Face- 

Time will help older kids in particular 

get through, Bride stated. But 

just like younger children, they need 

outdoor time, exercise and projects 

to occupy their minds. They also 

need talk time with parents. 

These needs, if not met, can result 

in children and parents’ being in 

conflict with each other, feeling 

frustrated and upset. During this 

difficult time, some kids may not 

verbally express their feelings for 

fear of making parents upset and 

more anxious. Adults may argue and 

lose their tempers with children, 

partners and other family members. 

Worries about unemployment, food 

insecurity and other very real problems 

can make managing stress very 

tough, Bride added. 

“We all need ways to take breaks 

from each other. Going for walks 

alone, reading a book, meditating, 

listening to music, playing music, 

baking and trying out new crafts 

and getting cleaning and sorting 

projects done and taking naps can 

all keep us feeling more relaxed and 

at home in our homes,” he said. 

Support for parents is 

vital for children’s well being 

and for collective mental 

health. “Remember that we 

are not in it alone and that it 

is through our networks of friends, 

professional helpers, community 

supports like schools making lunch 

available... that we will in fact get 

through this together. Vermont is 

strong!” he said. 

For recommendations to 

promote your family’s well-being 

during Covid-19 visit PCAVT.org. 

The Parents Help Line, 1-800-CHIL- 

DREN, or 229-5724, or 211. 

Domestic Abuse 

NewStory Center is Rutland County’s domestic and sexual violence resource center. 

Services including emergency shelter, the 24/7 crisis line. Call 802-775-3232. 

Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-228-7395. 

National Domestic Violence 24/7 hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522. (thehotline.org) 

Sexual Violence Hotline: 800-489-7273. 

National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673 

Parents Help Line, 1-800-CHILDREN, or 229-5724, or 211. 

Mental health 

Vermont Crisis Text Line: call 802-775-1000 or Text “VT” to 741741 (vtcrisistextline.org) 

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 

Rutland Mental Health 24/7 crisis line 802-775-1000 

Adult Mental Health Services at Community Care Network: 802-775-4388 

Child and Family Mental Health Services at Community Care Network: 802-775-2381 

Developmental Disabilities Services at Community Care Network: 802-775-0828 

Substance abuse 

Rutland Mental Health Services Substance Abuse at Community Care Network: 802-747-3588 

VTHelplink is a general clearinghouse for inquiries. Visit VTHelplink.org or call 802-565-LINK (5465). 

Turning Point, a substance abuse recovery center in Rutland, is offering support by phone at 802-773-6010. 

Vermont Telephone Recovery Support Service: 802-808-8877 

Rutland Alcoholics Anonymous Hotline: 802-775-0402. They continue to hold virtual meetings. Visit aavt.org. 

Narcotics Anonymous National Hotline 800-407-7195, or chat with someone at narcotics.com 

Rutland Regional Medical Center’s West Ridge Center is a medication assisted out-patient treatment program 

for people diagnosed with opioid dependence. Call 802.776.5800. 

Drug and alcohol treatment, recovery is ongoing 

The Vermont Department of 

Health has launched VTHelplink, a 

new, single source clearinghouse for 

Vermonters to receive free, confidential 

and personalized information and 

referrals to substance use prevention, 

treatment and recovery services 

throughout the state. 

“The global pandemic has not 

erased the continued urgent need for 

substance use-related services for 

Vermonters,” said Health Commissioner 

Mark Levine, MD. “In fact, the 

extraordinary steps required to stop 


“We all need ways to take breaks 

from each other,” said Bride. 

the spread of Covid-19 creates new 

challenges for people living with substance 

use disorder to get the services 

they need.” 

VTHelplink features a call center of 

trained staff and clinicians. Callers can 

get information, referrals, resources 

and educational materials on substance 

use for themselves, family and 

friends, or on behalf of clients. 

Also at VTHelplink.org is an online 

screening tool that Vermonters can 

use to learn about treatment options 

that meet their needs. People can also 

securely chat online with call center 

staff through the website. 

“These are more than simply difficult 

times, and we have no more 

important a mission than to do everything 

we can to create an infrastructure 

that bridges the challenges we 

face during this pandemic. VTHelplink 

is key resource for anyone who needs 

or wants to get treatment and succeed 

in their recovery,” said Dr. Levine. 

Those in need can also reach 

VTHelplink by calling 802-565-LINK 

(5465) or visiting VTHelplink.org. 


Domestic violence 

shouldn’t be tolerated 

Help is one call away 

The Vermont State Police, Vermont Attorney General’s 

Office and the Vermont Network Against Domestic and 

Sexual Violence join with other law-enforcement agencies 

and advocacy organizations to acknowledge the unique 

and difficult challenges facing people who are living in 

abusive and violent circumstances during the Covid-19 

pandemic. 

“While we continue to take precautions around Covid-19 

to make our communities safer for everyone, it is important 

for Vermonters to remember that not every home 

situation is safe,” said Attorney General T.J. Donovan. “Selfisolation 

does not mean that you are alone. Local programs 

and law enforcement agencies are here to help. I encourage 

all Vermonters who are worried about having to self-isolate 

in a dangerous home 

situation to reach out.” 

Amid stay-at-home 

orders, social distancing, 

quarantines 

and mandates to 

self-isolate, survivors 

If you are in 

an emergency 

situation: Call 911. 

can find themselves in closer contact than ever with their 

abusers. However, law enforcement, state government and 

advocacy networks stand ready to assist survivors, even as 

some operations are being modified to reduce the risk of 

virus transmission. 

“Dedicated advocates at Vermont’s domestic and sexual 

violence organizations are able to answer hotline calls, offer 

modified shelter, and certainly talk to survivors about safety 

planning and other issues,” said Karen Tronsgard-Scott, 

executive director of the Vermont Network. 

“We want survivors to know that we see you. We’re here. 

We’re ready to help,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, 

director of the state police. 

Covid-19: one more reason 

to quit tobacco, vaping 

The new coronavirus attacks the lungs, making it harder 

for people who smoke or vape — tobacco, cannabis or anything 

else — to fight off the virus and putting them at much 

greater risk of severe illness, even death. Through outreach 

and social media promotion, the Health Department has 

been helping Vermonters to learn that there has never been 

a better time, and there has never been a better reason, to 

quit. Vermonters can find online or phone Quit coaching, 

Quit resources and tools at 802quits.org. 

The state’s Tobacco Control Program has seen an 

encouraging uptick in requests for Quitline and Quit 

Online services compared to March 2019. The phone- and 

web-based services, as part of 802quits.org, are designed to 

effectively assist Vermonters age 13 and older with reducing 

and quitting tobacco use, including vaping. 

802Quits sent 2,200 encouraging text messages to 

Vermonters last month, a doubling over the number sent in 

February. We also see greater percentages of those currently 

using e-cigarettes seeking out 802Quits. 

Phone registrations in March 2020 were 41% higher with 

123 calls than March 2019 and web registrations were 167% 

higher with 516 compared to March 2019. 

The Tobacco Control Program also launched a youth 

cessation digital media campaign to support parents who 

may recognize their teen is addicted to vaping and want 

help. The campaign educates parents – and youth influencers 

– on free 802Quits resources for teens 13 and older, for 

more information visit 802quits.org/teen-vaping.


HERE 

for YOU 

EVERYDAY 



Thank you for continuing to 

entrust us with your 

health care needs. 

COMMUNITY 

HEALTH 

is prepared and ready 

to care for you. 

Community Health’s highest 

priorities are to stop the 

spread of the coronavirus and 

the health and safety of our patients, 

our employees and our community. 

ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS 

ARE OPEN 

Brandon Community Pharmacy 

Community Dental Rutland (for emergencies only) 

Community Dental Shorewell (for emergencies only) 

Express Care Castleton 

Express Care Rutland 

Community Health Allen Pond 

Community Health Brandon 

Community Health Castleton 

Community Health Mettowee 

Community Health Pediatrics 

Community Health Rutland 

Community Health Shorewell 

Community Health is currently offering support to our patients through: 

•TELEHEALTH VISITS 

•ARRANGING HOME DELIVERY OF PRESCRIPTIONS 

•IN PERSON VISITS (Call ahead) 


The CDC is recommending video visits to help avoid exposure and 

reduce the risk of being exposed to germs in the waiting room. 

Telehealth Visits 

PLEASE CALL 888-989-8707 

before coming in for a routine office visit to see 

if your concern can be handled remotely. 

Stay informed visit CHCRR.org


Local pharmacies still open, some deliver or offer pickup services 

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure 

that Medicaid members have access to the medications 

they need, the Department of Vermont Health Access 

(DVHA) has implemented the following changes to its 

prescription drug benefits programs, effective Friday, 

March 30. 

1. The mandatory 90-day supply requirement 

for select medications was suspended to allow 

pharmacies to better manage their inventory 

and help avoid drug shortages on March 18. 

DVHA will monitor claims using the override 

code to ensure it is used only when medically 

necessary. Improper use will subject the claim 

to recoupment. 

2. Signature requirements are being waived for 

receipt or delivery of prescriptions. In alignment 

with other payers in Vermont, pharmacists 

are no longer required to obtain a signature 

for prescription receipt or delivery. Pharmacists 

may write “Covid-19” or similar language on 

a prescription as an equivalent to receiving a 

patient signature. 

3. All Albuterol HFA formulations are now available 

without prior authorization. To address reported 

shortages, we have removed the requirement 

of a prior authorization for all formulations of 

Albuterol HFA. DVHA is encouraging pharmacies 

to carefully assess the number of inhalers a 

patient needs to prevent stockpiling and further 

shortages. 

Area pharmacies that are providing delivery 

services to members and have let DVHA know about 

their operating plans are included in a chart below. 

Please contact DVHA if your pharmacy offers a free 

delivery service so we can provide this information to 

members. To add your pharmacy to the list or make a 

correction, please contact the Pharmacy Team at ahs. 

dvhaph@vermont.gov. 

For more information call the Healthcare Pharmacy 

Help Desk at 1-844-679-5362 or visit dvha.vermont.gov/ 

providers/pharmacy under “Covid-19 information” for 

a current list. 

Courtesy Department of Vermont Health Access 

Medicaid enrolled pharmacies offering free delivery by location are listed on the state’s directory at dvha.vermont.gov/providers/pharmacy. 

Rooted in Vermont 

and Rooting for Vermont 

Join us in supporting local. 

Thank you to all front line 

workers for keeping our 

Vermont community heatlhy 

and strong. We honor you. 

Bennington 

802-442-8121 

Arlington 

802-375-2319 

Rutland 

802-774-5085 

TheBankofBennington.com 

Manchester 

802-362-4760 

Your Money Stays Here, Works Here, and that Makes a Difference. TM 

TM 



Your well-being 

matters most to us. 

Whether you'd like to continue working 

towards your real estate goals now, or wait 

until you feel you are ready to make a move — 

we're here for you. 

Your health and safety is our number one 

priority and we are taking precautions to keep you 

and your loved ones safe. We are available to 

answer your calls and questions, talk to you about 

virtual tours and more to keep you and your 

home healthy. 

Contact one of our agents, today. 

Laurie Mecier-Brochu 

802.417.3614 

Karen Heath 

802.417.3613 

Sandi Reiber 

802.417.3609 

Freddie Ann Bohlig 

802.417.3608 

Rhonda Nash 

802.417.3618 

Susan Bishop 

802.417.3607 

Lisa Bora Hughes 

802.417.3616 

Nathan Mastroeni 

802.417.3605 

Jean Chamberlain 

802.417.3610 

Miranda Link 

802.417.3629 

Kristina Doty 

802.417.3611 

Peggy Steves 

802.417.3619 

85 NORTH MAIN STREET | RUTLAND | 802.774.7007 | FourSeasonsSIR.com 

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. 


Telemedicine brings accessible and efficient 

healthcare to you at home, likely to last past pandemic 

By Virginia Dean 

RUTLAND — Although telemedicine has been practiced 

since the 1990s, it is needed and being used now more than 

ever, given the recent and daily difficulties of the coronavirus 

pandemic. 

“Social distancing guidelines make it harder to do many 

things, including going to doctor’s appointments,” said Peg 

Bolgioni, marketing and public relations director at Rutland 

Regional Medical Center. “Telehealth or telemedicine 

is a great option in these types of situations.” 

Sending those who show signs of the coronavirus or Covid-19 

to a hospital or clinic not only overwhelms physicians 

but puts patients and medical staff in danger from those 

who are infected and need to be diagnosed, monitored and 

quarantined, Bolgioni related. 

With limited surgical masks and personal protective 

equipment (PPE), reducing hospital admittance is essential 

in order not to waste valuable resources and risk workers’ 

health, she added. 

As such, telemedicine is rapidly emerging as a viable 

alternative to keep those with moderate symptoms at 

home while routing more severe cases to hospitals. But sick 

patients screened virtually still need in-person testing to 

determine if they have the coronavirus. 

At the Rutland Regional Medical Center, for example, 

telehealth is a workable option in many types of situations. 

Clinics inform patients in video chats, for example, with 

providers who are suitable. After consulting with their doctor, 

patients can click on a personalized link provided on 

their cell phones or computers to join them for a video call. 

All data is secure, private and no information is stored. Most 

telehealth visits are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and 

private pay insurance. 

Simply defined, telemedicine is the remote treatment 

of patients. It has been hailed by many as a solution to such 

health care problems as long wait times, rural access, and 

workforce shortages. 

“There are so many bad things that have come out of this 

time, but one of the good things is telemedicine,” said Dr. 

Rick A. Hildebrant, chief medical information officer and 

medical director for hospital medicine at RRMC. “While it’s 

been around for a long time, hospitals have been reluctant 

to adopt it, but now our hands have been forced and we’ve 

broadly adopted telemedicine... Some doctors are seeing 

up to 200 people per week!” 

Telemedicine will not go away after this pandemic has, 

Hildebrant forecasts. “Doctors now understand what a 

great tool it is to connect 

with our patients,” he said. 

At Dartmouth Hitchcock 

Medical Center, the 

goal of telemedicine is to 

determine if there is a need 

to come into the office. Telehealth service lines include 

outpatient virtual visits, TeleEmergency, TelelCN (neonatal), 

TelelCU (critical care), TeleNeurology, TelePharmacy, 

TelePsychiatry and TeleUrgent Care. 

“Most types of appointments that do not require a 

doctor to physically touch a patient can be accomplished 

through telemedicine,” said Lisa Cramb, DHMC spokesperson. 

“Doctors can evaluate, diagnose and treat patients 

all remotely through the use of two-way technology such as 

smart phones, computers/laptops, and tablet.” 

In response to the current pandemic, the TeleICU and 

TelePharmacy programs have expanded substantially, and 

the outpatient virtual visits have grown exponentially to 

“It’s 90% of our business right now,” 

said Josh Roylance. “This just turned 

the light switch on for everyone.” 

2,000 telehealth visits per day in April 2020, Cramb related. 

“This allows patients to continue to receive the care they 

want and need and helps to reduce the risk of potential 

exposure to the virus for both our patients and providers,” 

said Cramb. 

Medical Director Dr. Kevin Curtis, who oversees telemedicine 

at DHMC, added that it is vital to the hospital’s 

strategy to deliver health care to rural patients. 

As schools and businesses have shut down during the 

Covid-19 pandemic, area counselors have also expressed 

concern about patients who struggle with mental illness 

or others who have increased anxiety over the sudden and 

now ongoing lack of normal structure in their lives. 

At Gifford Health Care, in Randolph, psychiatric services 

are available through video conferencing in an effort to improve 

access to effective mental health treatment. Gifford 

has partnered with Alpine Telehealth in Brattleboro to bring 

these services to emergency department patients. 

“In terms of telemedicine during Covid-19, Gifford’s Behavioral 

Health and Primary 

Care teams visit with their 

patients via Zoom when 

appropriate,” said Maryellen 

Apelquist, communications 

specialist. “We also provide 

telemedicine visits for nursing home patients.” 

Per the partnership agreement between Gifford and 

Alpine, which has been in place since the spring of 2019, 

telepsychiatry services are available at the Gifford ED and 

hospital inpatient departments 24 hours a day, seven days a 

week, and 365 days a year, Apelquist explained. 

Services are provided using video chat on a web-based 

platform that is fully secure, encrypted, and Health Insurance 

Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA)-compliant. 

“We’re discussing additional telemedicine options with 

a variety of potential partners and will share more information 

as plans are finalized,” said Apelquist. “In rural areas, 

telemedicine is one way we can access patient services that 


Submitted 

Doctors in a large variety of fields are practicing medicine remotely, either via phone or video calls. It’s called telemedicine 

and it’s helped countless patience, while minimizing the demand on hospitals. 

we otherwise may not be able to provide here.” 

One of the drawbacks of virtual individual or group 

meetings, however, is the potential inability to access the 

required technology in addition to the reluctance to make 

a physical appearance in the doctor’s office, resulting in a 

shortage of patients, a decrease in cash flow and the potential 

closing of small, independent practices. 

At the Upper Valley Natural Health Center in White River 

Junction, licensed naturopathic physician Dr. Rebecca 

Chollet related that telemedicine is used to manage chronic 

conditions and treat minor acute illnesses and injuries that 

don’t require a physical exam. 

“Conditions that can be treated via TM include anxiety, 

depression, PMS, menopausal symptoms, seasonal allergies, 

hypothyroidism, IBS, acid reflux, and arthritis,” said 

Chollet. “In most cases, we’re able to accept new patients 

although not for primary care services.” 

The Center uses Doxy.me, a simple website platform 

that doesn’t require downloading or installation of 

software or applications, Chollet said. It does, however, 

require that patients have a device with a camera and 

microphone, either Firefox or Google Chrome browser, 

and good internet/wifi service. Telephone “visits” are also 

available. 

In Woodstock, the Upper Valley Rehab offers tele-health 

or tele-rehabilitation for physical or occupational therapy 

through an internet enabled device with a camera. The 

visits are live video sessions to diagnose the cause of pain 

and lost function of joints and muscles. 

“It’s 90% of our business right now,” said Josh Roylance, 

co-owner. “It’s a platform we’ve been sitting on for about a 

year. There are people in some desolate areas that couldn’t 

get here. This gives the patient and their family the choice 

to be treated where they want,” Roylance said. “Patients 

do not have to visit a clinic to get treatment. Our therapists 

coach patients and their families every step of the way. 

Insurance companies have recently acknowledged it. This 

just turned the light switch on for everyone.” 



We would like to remind you that the Ottauquechee Health Foundation (OHF) is committed 

to providing you with the support you need. During these trying times, OHF will continue to 

offer financial assistance for health and wellness needs through grants to those living in any 

of our nine service towns. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing financial stress in light 

of Covid-19 or other health reasons, please contact us. We are able to assist with co-pays and 

health service costs as well as any other health or wellness need that may arise. 

The Ottauquechee Health Foundation strives to improve the health and well-being of people 

who live in our core towns through grants, community partnerships, education opportunities 

and support of wellness initiatives. 

We assist in the healthcare needs of these core towns: 

Barnard, Bridgewater, Hartland, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Quechee, Reading and Woodstock. 

PO Box 784 | Woodstock, VT 05091 | 802-457-4188 | grants@ohfvt.org | www.ohfvt.org 

Flags to fly half-staff on the 19th of every 

month in 2020 to honor victims of Covid-19 

On April 17, Governor 

Phil Scott announced a 

flag lowering procedure 

to honor Vermonters who 

have died due to Covid-19, 

making the following statement: 

“This Sunday, April 19, 

marks one month since 

Vermont’s first two fatalities 

as a result of Covid-19. In 

honor of all the Vermonters 

we have lost to this terrible 

disease, I am ordering the 

U.S. and Vermont state flags 

to fly at half-staff on the 

19th of every month for the 

remainder of 2020. 

Submitted 

“As we continue to confront 

this public health crisis, 

it is important for each 

of us to remember those 

who are no longer with us 

and the friends and family 

who cared for them. We will 

get through this by staying 

united as Vermonters.” 

Quality caregiving at home— Quality caregiving at home— 

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so you may simply be family again. 

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Manchester Rutland, Center, VT 05701 VT 

4853 AtHomeSeniors.net 

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Manchester Center, VT 

802-768-8565 

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802-768-8565 

THANK YOU 

to our AHSC Amazing Caregiving Team. 

We offer affordable, 

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Thank you to all of the essential workers. 

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that your loved one is by staying home. 

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Stronger together 

4853 Main Street 

Manchester Center, VT 

AtHomeSeniors.net 

802-768-8565 



Living with Covid-19 amongst us 

Rutland Regional, state prepare for reopening with testing for those symptomatic and contact tracing 

By Polly Mikula 

Since the beginning of April, at least, the state of Vermont 

and all its regional hospitals and health clinics have had 

enough Covid-19 tests to test all symptomatic patients for 

the virus. All it takes to get one is a doctor’s referral and an 

appointment. 

With the availability of testing — about 14,000 tests were 

given in the state as of April 24— it’s encouraging to see both 

the number of tests and the confirmed cases from those 

test decrease, Governor Phil Scott, Health Commissioner 

Mark Levine and CEO of Rutland Regional Medical Center 

Claudio Fort have all said. 

This shows that “the overall burden of illness is decreasing,” 

Fort summarized. 

Because of available testing and consistent trends 

showing the virus is no longer spreading exponentially, the 

governor has decided to relax some of the social mitigation 

measures he put in place last month. “We will continue 

to watch the trends,” he said. “Our decisions will be based 

on facts and evidence and if we see and uptick in cases, we 

might have to increase measures once again.” 

Fort and Dr. Rick A. Hildebrant, chief medical information 

officer and medical director for hospital medicine 

at RRMC participated in a live call-in broadcast about 

Covid-19 with PEGTV, April 16, where they explained the 

status of testing locally. 

Hildebrant explained, “We have adequate testing available 

for symptomatic patients, but the testing is really 

designed for people who have symptoms of Covid. When 

testing people without symptoms the negative rate is high, 

even when people actually have the virus. So we do not test 

those people because it doesn’t give you an accurate result. 

But if you have symptoms of Covid call your doctor and ask 

to be tested because there is adequate testing available…. 

and we’ll hopefully be able to get results in house very 

soon,” he said. 

“PCR-based is the most common type of test for 

Covid-19. It’s a DNA test. It takes a fair amount of time to 

validate the test, however, so even when you have the capability 

to run it you have to be sure that the testing protocol 

gives you accurate information and test results,” Hildebrant 

explained of the process. “Our lab has been working very 

very hard on this to not only acquire the appropriate testing 

material but to validate the tests themselves and we’re very 

hopeful that by the end of this month we’ll be able to run 

tests locally at RRMC... and within 1-2 hours we can find 

out,” said Hildebrant. 

The protocol for people who test positive for Covid-19 is 

home isolation for most (only severe cases must be hospitalized), 

then the state department will trace anyone who 

may have been infected. 

Why contact trace? 

Public health experts say the epidemiological detective 

work known as contact tracing can help slow the spread. 

Center for Disease Control Director Robert Redfield has 

said “very aggressive” contact tracing would be needed to 

prevent new outbreaks. 

Commissioner Levine said testing and contact tracing 

are currently the only proven methods to box in the virus as 

the economy slowly begins to open. 

On April 20, the Department of Health announced that 

it will soon have 48 people tracking down individuals who 

may have been exposed to the virus in Vermont. 

Dr. Joshua White, chief medical officer at Gifford Medical 

Center in Randolph, said that ideally, the U.S. would track 

down everyone who’s been in contact with someone who 

tested positive for Covid-19 and get them tested to “put an 

end to any sort of chain of transmission.” 

How it’s done 

When someone tests positive for Covid-19 in Vermont, 

a contact tracer will first reach out to that person’s doctor 

then call the patient, ask about the onset of symptoms and 

who else they might have exposed. The aim is to find out 

everyone with whom the infected person had prolonged 

enough contact within the 48 hours before the onset of 

symptoms to put them at “medium to high risk,” explained 

Daniel Daltry, program chief of the HIV, STD and Hepatitis 

C program for Vermont’s Health Department. The contact 

tracers will then call those potentially infected people to 

coach them on what to look out for, how to isolate, and how 

to get tested if they develop symptoms. 

Daltry said the department continually evaluates 

whether they have adequate staff to conduct contact tracing, 

with the goal of interviewing people within 24 hours of 

their positive Covid-19 test result. 

Contact-tracing is critical for Vermont to quash outbreaks 

that will inevitably pop up until a vaccine is developed, 

White, Levine and Daltry agree. 

A Special Thank You 

to all the people who 

are fighting the fight 

against Covid-19 Virus. 

A Special Thank You 

to all the people who are 

fighting the fight against 

Covid-19 Virus. 

Stay Safe 

Stay Safe and Healthy 

thomasdairy.com 

vermontcounsel.com 



SBA approves $853 million in PPP loans to Vt. businesses in first round 

U.S. Sen. Leahy helped secure funding with the CARES Act in March, second round will bring more in May 

The U.S. Small Business Administration has 

approved more than $853 million in loans to 4,896 

Vermont businesses, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy 

announced on Wednesday, April 15. The assistance 

comes from the Paycheck Protection Program that 

was created as part of the CARES Act Congress 

passed in late March. 

The average loan size for businesses approved 

across the U.S. was $239,152. 

Leahy, the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations 

Committee, had a leading role in crafting the 

three emergency Covid-19 bills. 

“One of our top priorities in the CARES Act was 

to ensure businesses would have access to capital 

to help them persevere through this crisis,” said 

Leahy. 

“Our banks, credit unions and other lenders 

have done an extraordinary job under very trying 

circumstances to process these applications. 

Thanks to their hard work and partnership with 

SBA many Vermont businesses now have access to 

a lifeline,” he continued. 

The Paycheck Protection Program is designed to 

provide cash-flow assistance through 100% federally 

guaranteed loans to employers who maintain 

their payroll during this emergency. 

While originally, loans were to be made available 

starting April 3 through June 30, 2020, the program 

ran out of money on Thursday, April 16 — just 13 

days after it began. 

There had been $349 billion allotted for the 

program. 

At press time, lawmakers were working on a PPP 

extension bill that would provide an additional 

$310 billion to small businesses. Of that $60 billion 

would be allocated for smaller banking institutions 

and credit unions, to give smaller businesses a better 

shot at being approved. 

It was reported that larger banks prioritized larger 

businesses during the first round of PPP loans. 

For more information visit sba.gov. 

Courtesy SBA 

Top: dollars awarded by loan size 

categories. Bottom: number of 

loans and amounts by state. 

Made in VT 

Fair Haven Friday Nights 

Fair Have 

will be in downtown Fair Haven on August 28th at 6pm. 

VERMONT WINE, BEER AND SPIRITS PRODUCERS 

Among the many producers coming are: 

• St. John’s Distillery 

• Vermont Vines 

• Wild Heart Distillery 

There will be cheese donated by 

Cabot creamery and this year we have 

included cheese producers who will 

offer samples and sell goods. 



Types of loans and grants available through the Small Business Administration 

Created in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration 

(SBA) helps small business owners and entrepreneurs 

start, grow, expand, or recover. The SBA is the only 

cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small 

business and provides counseling, capital, and contracting 

expertise as the nation’s only go-to resource and 

voice for small businesses. 

In response to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, 

small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington 

D.C., and territories are eligible to apply for the following 

loan and grant programs. 

PPP 

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is an SBA 

loan that helps businesses keep their workforce employed 

during the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. 

PPP is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for 

small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. 

SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on 

the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for 

payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. (Due to high 

subscription, at least 75% of the forgiven amount must 

have been used for payroll). Loan payments will also be 

deferred for six months. No collateral or personal guarantees 

are required. Neither the government nor lenders 

will charge small businesses any fees. 

Forgiveness is based on the employer maintaining or 

quickly rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels. 

Forgiveness will be reduced if full-time headcount 

declines, or if salaries and wages decrease. 

This loan has a maturity of two years and an interest 

rate of 1%. 

Small businesses can apply through any existing SBA 

7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository 

Courtesy SBA 

Help is available through some loans with forgiveness. 

institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm 

Credit System institution that is participating. 

EIDL 

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) provides 

up to $10,000 for qualified small businesses. This 

advance will provide economic relief to businesses that 

are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. 

Funds will be made available following a successful 

application. This loan advance will not have to be 

repaid. 

The EIDL provides vital economic support to small 

businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of 

revenue they are experiencing as a result of the Covid-19 

pandemic. 

This program is for any small business with less 

than 500 employees (including sole proprietorships, 

independent contractors and self-employed persons), 

private non-profit organization or 501(c)(19) veterans 

organizations affected by Covid-19. 

Businesses in certain industries may have more than 

500 employees if they meet the SBA’s size standards for 

those industries. 

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance funds 

will be made available within days of a successful application, 

and this loan advance will not have to be repaid. 

Bridge loans 

Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program allows small 

businesses who currently have a business relationship 

with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 

quickly. These loans can provide vital economic support 

to small businesses to help overcome the temporary 

loss of revenue they are experiencing and can be a 

term loans or used to bridge the gap while applying for 

a direct SBA Economic Injury Disaster loan. 

If a small business has an urgent need for cash while 

waiting for decision and disbursement on an Economic 

Injury Disaster Loan, they may qualify for an SBA Express 

Disaster Bridge Loan. 

This loan can be repaid in full or in part by proceeds 

from the EIDL loan. 

We are committed to our 

families and our community 

Every Day and 

When it matters most. 

99 Allen Street, Rutland, VT 05701 

802-775-2331 

pinesrutland.com 

Skilled Nursing Care | Physical Therapy | Occupational Therapy 

Speech Therapy | Respiratory Therapy | Ventilator Unit | Respite 



Real Estate, Real People, REAL 

RESULTS 

Alison 

McCullough 

Real Estate 

Our Approach 

Governor Phil Scott 

signed an addendum 

to Executive Order 

01-20 that institutes 

new health and safety 

requirement and 

provides guidance 

to some singleperson 

low contact 

professional services, 

such as Realtors®, to 

operate if specified 

safety requirements 

can be met. The new 

order took effect on 

Monday, April 20. 

LOCAL PEOPLE. LOCAL SERVICE. 

— ALL 

• HEATING BOILERS-FURNACES- 

HOME COMFORT — ALL SEASON LONG! 

SPACE HEATING 

Call Call us us about installing a • tank a COOLING tank monitor CENTRAL A/C & • 24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE 

Call us 

- 

about 

see - see your 

installing 

your fuel fuel level level 

a tank 

from from 

monitor 

your your 

DUCTLESS smartphone! 

– see SPLIT your SYSTEMS fuel level from your smartphone! 

• HEAT PUMPS 

• • HEATING BOILERS-FURNACES- • FUEL • FUEL STORAGE TANKS 

SPACE HEATING 

• WATER HEATERS 

• TANK • TANK MONITORING 

• • COOLING CENTRAL A/C A/C & & • GENERATORS 

• 24/7 • 24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE 

DUCTLESS SPLIT SPLIT SYSTEMS • SMART HOME 

• • PROPANE AND AND FUEL FUEL DELIVERY 

• HEAT • HEAT PUMPS 

• FUEL STOPS 

• FIXED • FIXED OR OR CAPPED FUEL FUEL 

• • WATER HEATERS 

PRICING 

• • GENERATORS 

• • PREBUY 

• • SMART HOME HOME 

• • MONTHLY BUDGET 

• FUEL • FUEL STOPS 

• PAY • PAY AS AS YOU YOU GO GO 


ALISONM C CULLOUGHREALESTATE.COM 

Department of 

Health and CDC 

29 Center Street, Suite 1 • Downtown HOME Rutland, COMFORT VT • 802.747.8822 — ALL SEASON LONG! 


Call us about installing a tank monitor 

- see your fuel level from your smartphone! 


Home Comfort – All season long! 

KeyserEnergy.com www.keyserenergy.com 

802-775-5583 

802-775-5583 

Our office will 

follow the Vermont 

guidelines. 

• FUEL STORAGE TANKS 

• TANK MONITORING 

• PROPANE AND FUEL DELIVERY 

• FIXED OR CAPPED FUEL 

PRICING 

• PREBUY 

• MONTHLY BUDGET 

• PAY AS YOU GO

Q&A on financial assistance 

The state of Vermont Agency 

of Commerce and Community 

Development answers common 

questions about financial assistance 

available to individuals who may 

need help paying bills. 

Is any kind of immediate 

financial assistance available for 

individuals? 

A federal stimulus package 

includes direct one-time payments 

to most Americans. The direct payment 

will provide $1,200 payments 

to adults with annual incomes up 

to $75,000, plus another $500 per 

child. For most Americans, the 

money is likely to arrive in April via 

the direct deposit information as 

indicated on your 2019 tax return, 

or by check through the mail if no 

direct deposit information was 

provided in your tax return. 

What should I do if I am unable 

to pay my utility bill? 

Contact your utility provider to 

let them know that you are having 

financial trouble related to Covid-19 

emergency. While payment terms 

may be adjusted, charges will still 

accrue, and arrangements must be 

made to pay the amounts owed. Providers 

of natural gas, electricity or 

land-line telephones are not permitted 

to disconnect services during 

this time. Additionally, Comcast, 

Consolidated, Sprint, AT&T and 

some other internet and cell phone 

service providers have pledged to 

maintain services to customers. 

Contact your provider about their 

policy. Charges will still accrue, and 

arrangements must be made to pay 

the amounts owed in full. 

What can I do if I don’t think I 

will be able to pay my taxes? 

On March 21, 2020, the U.S. Treasury 

Department and the Internal 

Revenue Service announced that 

the federal income tax filing due 

date has been extended from April 

15, 2020 to July 15, 2020. The Vermont 

income tax filing due dates for 

the following taxes have also been 

extended from April 15, 2020 to July 

15, 2020: 

• Vermont Personal Income 

Tax 

• Vermont Homestead Declaration 

and Property Tax 

Credit Claims 

• Corporate Income Tax 

• Fiduciary Income Tax 

Taxpayers may file and pay these 

taxes before July 15, 2020, without 

penalty or interest. Although the due 

date for filing has moved to July 15, 

taxpayers who are able to file now 

are encouraged to do so, especially 

those who are expecting a refund. 

The Vermont Department of Taxes 

remains able to process to returns 

and refunds in order to get money 

back into taxpayers’ hands as soon 

as possible. 

Some Vermonters are eligible 

for free federal and state tax filing. 

Am I? 

You may qualify for free federal 

and free state online tax preparation 

and e-filing if: 

Your Adjusted Gross Income 

(AGI) is $69,000 or less and 

You are age 51 or younger or 

You are eligible for the Earned 

Income Tax Credit, or 

Your Active Military for Adjusted 

Gross Income (AGI) is $69,000 or less 

More information is available 

at tax.vermont.gov/individuals/ 

free-file. 

Do I have to pay rent or mortgage 

this month? 

If you can afford it, yes. If you are 

having trouble making ends meet 

due to the Covid-19 emergency, contact 

your mortgage service provider 

or landlord regarding the terms of 

your payment. While terms may be 

adjusted, homeowners and renters 

remain responsible for making payments 

in full. 

Federal law prohibits foreclosures 

on all federally-backed mortgage 

loans for a 60-day period beginning 

on March 18, 2020. Up to 180 days of 

forbearance will be provided to borrowers 

who have a federally-backed 

mortgage loan who have experienced 

a financial hardship related to 

the Covid-19 emergency. 

Can I be evicted for non-payment 

of rent? 

No, evictions have been temporarily 

paused in Vermont until 30 

days after the governor terminates 

the State of Emergency by declaration. 

The Senate unanimously 

approved the measure to freeze 

evictions and foreclosures in its 

bill, S.333, passed April 10. Vermont 

courts already largely halted evictions 

during the Covid-19 crisis after 

it declared a judicial emergency on 

March 16, which suspended all 

non-emergency court proceedings, 

until at least May 31, 2020. If you 

have received a Writ of Possession, 

contact Vermont Legal Aid at 1-800- 

889-2047 for assistance. 

My tenants cannot pay rent and 

I am unable to pay the mortgage on 

my rental property. What do I do? 

Multi-unit property owners 

should contact their mortgage service 

provider if they unable to pay 

their mortgage. Federal law provides 

up to 90 days of forbearance for 

multi-family borrowers with a federally 

backed multi-family mortgage 

loan who have experienced a financial 

hardship. 

What do I do if I need emergency 

housing? 

Contact Vermont 211, a 24-hour 

hotline for help obtaining emergency 

housing, shelter and other 

resources and services. 

May I sign a long-term lease 

(more than 30 days) on a new 

apartment or house? 

Long-term rental leases are allowed. 

Moving and moving services 

are also allowed, so long as social 

distancing guidelines are followed. 

For more information visit accd. 

vermont.gov/Covid-19/individuals 

Additional financial 

resources in 

Rutland County: 

BROC Community Action in 

Rutland helps residents across south 

western Vermont with access to food, 

housing and homelessness, fuel and 

utilities, justice and economic development 

to create a path forward out 

of crisis or poverty, so our neighbors 

and communities thrive. Visit broc. 

org. 

Rutland Housing Authority is still 

accepting applications for housing. 

Call 802-775-2926 or visit rhavt.org. 

Homeless Prevention Center 

has closed its office but is working 

remotely by phone. Homeless in 

Rutland County? Call 775-9286 or 

visit hpcvt.org. 

Vermont 2-1-1 is the statewide 

referral agency that provides listings 

of financial and other assistance 

agencies by county. Consumers 

can find out what agencies in their 

area provide financial help call 2-1-1 

or visit vermont211.org or text your 

zip code to 898211 or email info@ 

vermont211.org. 

The Fuel Assistance program can 

help consumers pay part of their 

home heating needs whether they 

own their home or rent an apartment, 

pay for heat directly or with the 

rent. Visit dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/ 

fuel-assistance. 

Economic Services Division 

offers emergency and general assistance 

to individuals and families 

to meet their emergency basic 

needs. This may include help paying 

for personal needs and incidentals, 

housing (e.g., mortgage, rent, room 

rent, temporary housing), fuel and 

utilities, medical, dental, prescriptions, 

medical supplies/equipment 

and/or burial costs. Benefits are paid 

directly to the vendor, with the exception 

of personal need items, which 

are paid on an EBT card. To find out 

if you are eligible, apply! Call 1-800- 

479-6151 (ask for the Rutland County 

district office.) 


Courtesy of the MINT Makerspace 

Rutland Regional Medical Center ordered 10,000 face 

shields like this one made at the The MINT in Rutland. 

Resources, funds available 

to Rutland County 

businesses, non-profits 

Staff report 

The Rutland Economic Development Corporation 

(REDC) can provides assistance to area businesses that 

have been impacted as a result of Covid-19. 

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working diligently 

for all of you to better understand the impacts of 

Covid-19 as the situation develops,” wrote Tyler Richardson, 

REDC executive director, and Kim Rupe assistant 

director, in a letter to area businesses April 16. “We’ve 

been reaching out to our business members to check in 

with them, hear the impacts they’re facing, and see how 

we might be able to help in the near and long term... 

“We’ve been working with USDA to approve REDC’s 

Covid-19 Emergency Loan Program leveraging funds 

through our existing Revolving Loan Fund. Be on the 

lookout for additional details very soon, but in the meantime 

contact us for more information. And visit our website 

for information on our existing loan program,” 

Richardson and Rupe wrote. 

“We’ve been working with USDA 

to approve REDC’s Covid-19 

Emergency Loan Program 

leveraging funds through our 

existing Revolving Loan Fund.” 

REDC provides fixed rate loans through its Revolving 

Loan Fund. Loans are typically between $5,000 – 

$150,000, but can be more. 

Additionally, Vermont’s 12 regional development 

corporations, including REDC, have sent a letter to the 

Congressional delegation thanking them for their work to 

date and identifying several issues, concerns, gaps, and 

unmet needs and offering suggestions to consider for 

additional relief legislation. 

Although the REDC office is closed services remain 

available for our Rutland County businesses. Visit REDC’s 

Covid-19 resource page for businesses at: rutlandeconomy.com/covid19. 

For information about additional 

economic opportunities and incentives in the Rutland 

area visit: rutlandeconomy.com/financial. 

Covid-19 Local Guide • April 24, 2020 • 19

80,000+ file for unemployment 

Staff report 

Before the Covid-19 surge prompted 80,000 people to 

file for unemployment starting in mid-March, about 500 

claims came into the department each week. The department 

handled the phone calls associated with those claims 

using about 15 staff members. 

The department now has 150 people handling calls, 

interim Department of Labor Commissioner Michael 

Harrington said with about 250 total processing claims. In 

order to manage this excessive demand, other state agencies 

have had to chip in to help and the state has also had 

to hire a Virginia-based vendor called Maximus. Another 

50 phone workers are available from Maximus if needed, 

Harrington said. 

Governor Phil Scott said federal regulations were the primary 

reason for the backlog in claims, which had gone on 

for weeks. About 34,000 claimants had a combined 50,000 

outstanding issues on their claims as April 17, Scott said. 

Normally, the state is required to investigate every single 

issue – confirming that the claimant left a suitable job voluntarily, 

was fired for misconduct, or is otherwise ineligible 

for unemployment insurance – to make sure it is adhering 

to federal regulations regarding who can file for the benefit, 

the governor said. 

“But these are not normal times,” Scott said. On April 

17, Scott announced that anyone who was still stuck in 

the backlog of claims by Sunday would receive a check for 

$1,200, covering two weeks’ worth of federal benefits that 

started the week of March 29. 

On Monday, April 20, the Vermont’s Department of Labor 

said that it cleared tens of thousands of backlogged unemployment 

insurance claims over the weekend. The state 

also made good on its promise to send checks of $1,200 to 

the remaining 8,384 Vermonters who still hadn’t been able 

to resolve problems with their claims — over $10 million. 

The checks “serve as an initial installment” for claimants, 

the department said in the press release. People who 

receive them likely are owed more under the program, and 

they will eventually receive the full amount over the coming 

weeks, the DOL said. 


By Mike Dougherty/VTDigger 

Michael Harrington, interim commissioner of the Department 

of Labor, discusses the state’s backlog of unemployment 

claims at a press briefing on April 17. 

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program 

The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program 

is an element of the CARES Act, passed by Congress 

in March that expands unemployment benefits to previously 

uncovered workers, including the self-employed or 

independent contractors. The reason the workers were 

previously uncovered by the unemployment fund is, unlike 

other industries/professions, they had not been required to 

contribute to the fund. 

VDOL expected to be able to process these types of 

claims by April 24. 

PUA benefits are calculated based on a claimant’s reported 

prior earnings. PUA will provide for lost wages, and 

claimants will also be eligible for the additional $600/week 

for each week of lost wages provided federally. 

For additional PUA Program information, please visit 

the Department’s website at labor.vermont.gov. If you need 

assistance call the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance 

line at 877-660-7782. 


Accessing unemployment 

benefits, state and fed 

Over 80,000 Vermonters have filed unemployment 

claims since the middle of March. The state unemployment 

fund covers 46% of weekly gross earnings averaged 

over the past three quarters. On top of that, the U.S. 

Congress passed the CARES act adding $600/week to 

claimant’s benefits. The state allows for up to six months 

on unemployment (with a possible 13 week extension); 

the federal stimulus runs out in four months. 

Filing initial claims 

Those looking to establish an initial claim for unemployment 

insurance benefits may do so any time online 

at labor.vermont.gov or by calling 1-877-214-3330 or 

1-888-807-7072 from 8:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday 

through Friday, or from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday. 

Filing of weekly claims 

Unemployment claims must be filed weekly. The 

VDOL has set up a weekly claim filing schedule based on 

claimant last names to prevent an overload to the online 

and phone systems. 

• Monday: A-E 

• Tuesday: F-L 

• Wednesday: M-R 

• Thursday: S-Z 

• Sunday and Friday: open to everyone 

To file for weekly claims electronically, go to labor. 

vermont.gov. To file for weekly claims by phone, follow 

the last name schedule above and call 1-800-983-2300 

which is available 24 hours on Sunday and 5 a.m.-4:30 

p.m. Monday-Friday. 

Claimant assistance 

In an effort to prevent an overload to the system, 

VDOL has set up the same schedule as above based on 

claimant last names, except Friday and Saturday are the 

days open for everyone. 

The Claimant Assistance Line can be reached at 

1-877-214-3332 from 8:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday 

or from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday. 

For more information visit Vermont Department of 

Labor’s website at: labor.vermont.gov/Covid19. 

Alphabetized 

intake debuted 

for UI claims 

The Vermont Department 

of Labor has implemented 

an alphabetized 

structure for the intake 

of weekly claims and inquiries 

based on the first 

letter of their last name. 

The structure took effect 

on Sunday, April 12. 

The structure is: Sunday 

(everyone), Monday 

(A-E), Tuesday (F-L), 

Wednesday (M-R), Thursday 

(S-Z), and Friday 

(Everyone) 

Those with questions 

about their claim may call 

(877) 214-3332 based on 

the same last name structure 

except Saturdays are 

open to everyone and 

Sundays are closed.


Courtesy of VT Health Connect 

If you’ve lost income visit info.healthconnect.vermont.gov to see if you qualify for aid. 

Insurers required to cover Covid-19 costs 

If you have had a loss of income, you could qualify 

for more health care subsidies 

On Wednesday, April 15, Governor Phil 

Scott and the Department of Financial 

Regulation (DFR) announced an emergency 

regulation requiring commercial insurers 

to waive cost-sharing requirements, 

such as co-payments, coinsurance or 

deductible requirements, for the diagnosis 

and treatment of Covid-19. The emergency 

regulation is retroactive to March 13, 2020, 

the date that Governor Scott declared 

a State of Emergency. 

“During this unprecedented emergency, 

Vermonters deserve access to the 

care they need to stay safe and healthy,” 

said Governor Scott. “As we work to expand 

testing to more Vermonters with symptoms 

of Covid-19, it is critical that our efforts 

to help control the spread of the virus 

are not affected by insurance costs.” 

The emergency regulation applies to 

fully funded health insurance plans such 

as plans sold on the exchange or to large 

group employers. Consistent with existing 

DFR rules, insurers will be required to cover 

out-of-network services for members if 

in-network providers are unavailable. 

“The Covid-19 pandemic has evolved 

quickly and is impacting the economic 

lives of so many Vermonters,” said DFR 

Commissioner Michael Pieciak “Accordingly, 

we have been working closely with 

our health insurers to eliminate financial 

barriers to testing and treatment of the 

disease.” 

The emergency regulation follows a 

series of steps taken by DFR to ensure 

Vermonters can receive the care they need 

during the Covid-19 outbreak: 

• March 6, 2020: DFR issued an 

emergency bulletin requiring insurers 

to cover the cost of Covid-19 

testing. 

• March 20, 2020: DFR issued 

guidance to insurers to provide additional 

grace periods to Vermonters 

who are struggling to pay their 

health insurance premiums. 

• March 30, 2020: DFR issued an 

emergency regulation to expand 

the coverage of telehealth and 

audio-only medical visits. 

Anyone with questions or problems 

with a health insurer providing 

coverage,call 800-964-1784. 

You may qualify for 

more subsidies 

If you have experienced a loss of 

income, such as decreased work or being 

laid off due to the pandemic, you may now 

qualify for additional subsidies through 

Vermont Health Connect, the state’s insurance 

exchange marketplace. 

Loss of income is a qualifying “change of 

circumstance” that allows Vermonters to 

change their enrollment outside of the annual 

open enrollment period. Please visit 

the Eligibility and Out-of-Pocket Expenses 

section at: healthconnect.vermont.gov. 

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Battling wifi connectivity issues? There’s help 

Staff report 

Vermonters are staying home and staying safe during 

the Covid-19 emergency, but for many that has meant 

getting by with no access to the internet at home. 

The difficulty has been particularly challenging for students 

who are adapting to remote learning, individuals in 

need of telehealth care, and workers who could earn an 

income if they could work 

from home. 

“The Covid-19 emergency 

has starkly exposed 

how dependent we are 

on frequent and reliable 

internet access to meet 

every day needs,” said June 

Tierney, commissioner of 

the Public Service Department. “Before Covid-19, folks 

could count on regular access to the internet from many 

different places such as their workplace or libraries,” she 

continued, “but now that we have to stay home to slow 

the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the reality is most of us 

need internet access at home.” 

Tierney sees the Covid-19 emergency very much like a 

“natural storm disaster that rips away bridges and roads. 

The internet is the highway to essential everyday services. 

Even if it is only temporary, we need to find ways now 

to get the internet to people where they live.” 

On April 5, Vermont Public Radio reported that 7% of 

Vermont addresses lack access to basic internet and 23% 

of Vermont addresses cannot get speeds that meet the 

federal definition of broadband. Many Vermonters cannot 

afford connectivity. 

To help reconnect Vermonters at home with no internet 

to the means to meet many everyday essentials, Commissioner 

Tierney issued a “call to action” on April 10 to 

Vermont’s utilities and internet service providers, asking 

that they look for ways to team up and provide home connectivity 

solutions for Vermonters who have none. 

On April 17 the Department released a map, available 

on its website at Interactive Broadband Map, showing 

broadband speeds available at addresses across the 

state. The Department annually collects broadband 

deployment information from internet service providers 

in Vermont about where they offer service, and the speeds 

they offer. 

The Department is also tackling the companion challenge 

of identifying Vermonters who need help now with 

connectivity. Contact its Consumer Affairs and Public Information 

Division (CAPI) for assistance at 800-622-4496. 

By calling CAPI or visiting the Department’s website, 

you’ll find Vermont service providers who are offering 

help during the Covid-19 emergency as well as information 

about free Wi-Fi hotspots that can be accessed from a 

car so you can practice good social distancing. 

Public wifi hotspots 

At the outset of the Covid-19 emergency, the Department 

published a public Wi-Fi hotspot map on its website 

to assist Vermonters with internet access for information, 

remote work and learning. The map identifies places 

where people can access free public Wi-Fi options from 

a car to maintain appropriate social distancing. A review 

of that data found that 38 small towns across the state 

had no identified suitably socially distant and publicly 

available Wi-Fi. The Department reached out to public 

schools, libraries and town halls about partnering to have 

public Wi-Fi installed for their communities. Over 50 

communities have reached out to the Department thus 

far. 

“Broadband remains a critical resource for Vermonters 

in rural areas to stay connected and work and learn 

remotely during our Stay Home, Stay Safe period,” said 

Governor Scott in a statement April 16. “We are grateful to 

our partners at Microsoft, RTO Wireless and Up And Running 

I.T. for their assistance in providing this important 

service.” 

“Microsoft approached 

RTO Wireless about teaming 

up on deploying free 

public Wi-Fi at venues 

located in rural communities 

that lack sufficient 

broadband coverage,” said 

RTO’s CEO Steve Hubbard. 

“Microsoft offered to fund 

the purchase and installation of the hotspot devices.” 

Justin McCoart’s Bethel-based company, Up And Running 

I.T., will assist with the local installations. Public host 

institutions need to have existing broadband service and 

agree to host the equipment. 

“Government and business are trying to help, working 

together, to build in high traffic and in rural areas,” said 

McCoart. He further stressed how committed the tech 

sector is to helping keep people connected, adding: “Everyone 

is working 12 to 16 hours a day to keep everyone 

connected to each other. None of this would have been 

possible 12 years ago.” 

Public Wi-Fi spots available through the hot spot 

device installment initiative are being offered at the Ira 

Town Offices. 

Additionally here are few new, temporary connectivity 

options that available to help Vermonters through the 

Covid-19 emergency: 

• VTel is providing increased network speeds and 

capacity to Vermont high schools and hospitals. VTel 

has provided free internet access and Chromebooks 

to Rutland City Public Schools students affected by 

school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

• Charter offered free Spectrum broadband and Wi- 

Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or 

college students who do not already have a Spectrum 

broadband subscription and at any service level up 

to 100 Mbps and waived installation fees for new 

student households. 

• Comcast Xfinity provided its Internet Essentials 

free to new, eligible customers for 60 days providing 

25/3 Mbps broadband service. It also offers eligible 

university students who live in Comcast’s service 

areas and need internet service, a Visa prepaid card 

worth about two months of internet service with no 

upfront fees or installation costs. It also provides its 

own free wifi hotspots at xfinity.com/wifi 

• QLink provided free cell phone service for income 

eligible Vermonters. You can apply online with 

QLink, bring your own phone and get free 8GB of 

data and unlimited talk and text during the company’s 

Covid-19 response period. 

• Consolidated Communications offered two 

months of free home internet service to help, including 

free installation for households with students 

who are not currently Consolidated customers. 

• Verizon waived overage charges and late fees to 

support customers who may be financially affected 

by the Covid-19 crisis and added 15GB of high speed 

data for wireless consumers with no customer action 

necessary. 

• AT&T committed to the Keep Americans Connected 

pledge and consumers and small businesses that 

“Before Covid-19, folks could count 

on regular access to the internet from 

many different places such as their 

workplace or libraries,” Tierney said. 


can’t pay their bills because of the pandemic will not 

be terminated or assessed late fees. 

• Sprint provided unlimited data for 60 days to customers 

with metered data plans and gave 20GB of 

free mobile hotspot use to customers with hotspotcapable 

devices. 

• T-Mobile gave current customers who have cell 

phone plans with data unlimited data for 60 days 

and an additional 20 GB of mobile hotspot/tethering 

service for those two months. 

For the map of free public wifi hotspots visit: publicservice.vermont.gov/content/public-wifi-hotspots-vermont. 

Courtesy of Vermont Public Service 

An interactive map of free public wifi lets Vermonters 

know where they can connect to the internet. There are 

both official sites and crowd-sourced site listed. Visit 

publicservice.vermont.gov/content/public-wifi-hotspots-vermont 

Courtesy of Xfinitiy 

Comcast Xfinity is offering free wifi hotspots for Vermonters, 

too, visit hotspots.wifi.xfinity.com. 

Did you know? 

Local libraries offer downloadable 

e-books, audiobooks, video 

Many Rutland County libraries offer a wide variety 

of downloadable ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video, 

databases for school & general use as well as curbside 

pickup of library materials. Visit your library’s website or 

call to see what your library has to offer. 


Talking with children about Covid-19 

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers guidance for parents 

As public conversations around the Covid-19 coronavirus 

increase, children may worry about themselves, 

their family, and friends getting ill. Parents, family members, 

school staff, and other trusted adults can play an 

important role in helping children make sense of what 

they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, 

and minimizes anxiety or fear. CDC has 

created guidance to help adults have 

conversations with children about Covid-19 

and ways they can avoid getting 

and spreading the disease. 

Remain calm and reassuring. 

Remember that children will react to 

both what you say and how you say it. 

They will pick up cues from the conversations 

you have with them 

and with others. 

Make yourself available to listen 

and to talk. 

Make time to talk. Be sure 

children know they can come to 

you when they have questions. Avoid 

language that might blame others and 

lead to stigma. Remember that viruses 

can make anyone sick. 

Pay attention to what children see or 

hear. 

Consider reducing the amount 

of screen time focused on 

Covid-19. Too much news 

(especially the variety that 

sounds urgent or controversial) can lead to anxiety. Talk 

to children about how some stories on Covid-19 on the 

internet and social media may be based on rumors and 

inaccurate information. 

Provide information that is honest and accurate. 

Give children information that is truthful and appropriate 

for the age and developmental level of the 

child. 

Teach children everyday actions to reduce germs. 

Remind children to stay away from people who 

are coughing or sneezing or sick. Remind them to 

cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow, then 

throw the tissue into the trash. Discuss any new 

actions that may be taken to help protect 

children (e.g., wearing masks, increased 

hand-washing, cancellation of events or 

activities). 

Get into a hand-washing habit. 

Teach them to wash their 

hands with soap and water 

for at least 20 seconds, especially 

after blowing their 

nose, coughing, or sneezing; 

going to the bathroom; and 

before eating or preparing food. 

If soap and water are not available, 

teach them to use hand sanitizer. Hand 

sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol. 

Supervise young children when they 

use hand sanitizer to prevent swallowing 

alcohol. 


World Health Organization shares 

tips on supporting kids’ emotions 

Help children find positive ways to express feelings 

such as fear and sadness. Every child has his or her own 

way of expressing emotions. Sometimes engaging in a 

creative activity, such as playing or drawing can facilitate 

this process. Children feel relieved if they can express 

and communicate their feelings in a safe and supportive 

environment. 

During times of stress and crisis, it is common 

for children to seek more attachment and be more 

demanding on parents. Discuss Covid-19 with your 

children in an honest and age-appropriate way. If your 

children have concerns, addressing them together may 

ease their anxiety. Children will observe adults’ behaviours 

and emotions for cues on how to manage their 

own emotions during difficult times. 

Keep children close to their parents and family, if 

considered safe, and avoid separating children and their 

caregivers as much as possible. If a child needs to be 

separated from his or her primary caregiver, ensure that 

appropriate alternative care is provided and that during 

periods of separation, regular contact with parents and 

carergivers is maintained, such as twice-daily scheduled 

telephone or video calls or other age-appropriate communication 

(e.g. social media). 

Maintain familiar routines in daily life as much as 

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Caring for pets, livestock in the time of coronavirus 

By M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM Vt Veterinary Association 

The coronavirus pandemic 

has left many worried about the 

safety of their pets and whether 

or not the virus can be transmitted 

to/from their pets. This is 

especially true given the recent 

news that the presence of SARS- 

CoV-2, the virus that causes 

Covid-19, has been confirmed in 

a tiger at New York’s Bronx Zoo. 

According to Dr. Paige Brock, 

veterinarian at the Bronx Zoo, 

the tiger was showing mild 

symptoms, responded to treatment, 

and has recovered. It is 

believed the animal contracted 

the illness from a zoo employee 

who was actively shedding the 

virus. 

Infectious disease experts and 

multiple international and domestic 

human and animal health 

organizations 

agree that at 

this time there 

is no evidence 

that domestic 

animals, including pets and 

livestock, can spread Covid-19 to 

people. There have been no reports 

of pets or livestock becoming 

ill with Covid-19 in the U.S., 

and only four reported cases in 

the world of dogs and cats testing 

positive for the virus. We would 

be seeing many more cases 

in feline pets if the virus were 

spreading by way of domestic 

animals. (There are dog-specific 

and cat-specific coronaviruses 

There is no evidence that domestic animals 

...can spread Covid-19 to people. 

that have been around for years, 

and those strains of the virus 

ONLY infect dogs and cats, not 

humans). 

The larger concern is humans 

spreading Covid-19 to pets, 

not the other way around. We 

know that in people, transmission 

primarily occurs when 

there is contact with an infected 

person’s bodily secretions, such 

as saliva or mucus droplets in a 

cough or sneeze. Transmission 

via touching 

a pet who has 

been sneezed or 

coughed is less 

likely because 

fibrous pet fur can absorb and 

trap the virus, making it harder to 

contract through simple touch. 

Veterinary medicine has been 

deemed an essential service in 

Vermont and most clinics remain 

open and veterinarians are ready 

to answer your questions. 

Most veterinarians are 

protecting you and your pets 

by wearing gowns, masks and 

gloves and asking you to stay 

in your cars and call when you 

arrive at the clinic. While these 

requirements are frustrating to 

some, they are necessary precautions 

to protect you, your pets, 

and the veterinarians. 

What’s a worried pet owner to 

do? Don’t panic! If you are not ill 

with Covid-19 social distancing 

doesn’t mean away from your 

pets. In fact, you’ll have more 

time than ever to enjoy them so 

interact with them! 

For more information visit 

avma.org. 

THANK YOU 

to all of those on the front lines fighting the fight 

during this pandemic. From all of us here at 

Omya, we Thank You for your service. 



Courtesy of Rutland Regional Medical Center 

Rutland area nurses train at the alternative care site created at Spartan Arena. If needed, the new surge site could 

care for 100-150 non-Covid-19 patients if demand at Rutland Regional Medical Center exceeds capacity. 

> 

RRMC prepared: Hospital takes early precautions and proactive measures to ensure patient demand does not exceed medical capacity. 

from page 4 

PPE 

When asked how RRMC was with personal protective 

equipment (PPE), Fort said: “We are ok right now, the 

problem is we don’t know how big this fight is going to be 

and how long this duration is going to be, so here at Rutland 

Regional Medical center we’ve put in place some conservation 

measures and these are changing rapidly. The national 

Center for Disease Control has changed their recommendations 

for this to allow us to safely reuse these masks,” he 

said. 

“We starting conserving our PPE early on so we would 

have it when we need it. Our 

team also was proactive with 

the supply chain, we started to 

source and acquire PPE early so 

we weren’t as hard hit as others,” 

he said, adding “We also had a 

great response from our community 

including John Casella 

and Paul Gallo who had stocks of 

N95 masks that they donated to RRMC early on. But the big 

thing is that we haven’t seen the spike that we’ve prepared 

for in worst case scenarios.” 

“It could still happen, so we need to be vigilant,” Fort 

added in the broadcast call-in, April 16. 

Medical evaluations, testing 

On Monday, April 6, RRMC set up a tent outside that is 

able to screen patience in a “split flow,” said Rounds. “We’ve 

opened up our ambulance bay… and turned it into a respiratory 

evaluation unit,” he said. “We have the ability to do 


“Everything we’re doing is to 

ensure that the hospital is 

there for you when you need 

it,” Fort added. 

chest x-rays there, screen patients, provide care and some 

patients might be able to receive treatment right there 

without ever having to come into the core of the emergency 

department.” 

RRMC also has a tent set up at the Allen Street entrance 

where people who have had a test ordered by a primary care 

doctor (who confirmed the likelihood of their symptoms 

being Covid-19) can simply drive up and get tested. “They 

don’t have to exit their car, we’re collecting the specimen 

and those specimens are sent off to the Mayo Clinic,” 

Rounds said. If someone is sick in the hospital (as an inpatient 

or a healthcare worker) 

their tests are shuttled to Dartmouth 

three times per day “so 

we can turn those results around 

quicker,” Rounds explained. 

Testing is now available for all 

people experiencing symptoms, 

but you do still need to get a doctor’s 

referral, you can’t just drive 

up to be tested, Rounds emphasized. 

“Everything we’re doing is to ensure that the hospital 

is there for you when you need it, so if you are having an 

medical emergency you should call 911 or come to the ER,” 

Fort added. “We have not seen transmission of Covid-19 to 

our staff or other patience at the hospital, so I think that’s 

one evidence-based outcome to say that we’ve done a good 

job to contain this and to protect our patients and our staff 

at the hospital so I think you’re probably safer going into the 

hospital than some other businesses because the people 

at the hospital, the clinicians, have been doing this for six 

weeks non-stop and we have policies and processes and 

procedures to make sure we keep you safe.” 

What’s next? 

“We plan to keep the alternative care centers up through 

the end of May, then go from there,” said Fort. “We’ll see 

how the data looks and the Vermont curve is going, what 

the state recommends as we’re working in collaboration.” 

“We’ve been lucky, but if a senior living center gets hit, 

then we could still have a spike,” Fort said. There are actually 

two alternative care sites, he explained: one at Spartan 

Arena for non-Covid patients and the other at Mendon 

Mountain View Lodge where up to 40 Covid positive patients 

could be cared for. 

“This pandemic will have fundamentally changed 

medicine as we know it,” said Dr. Rick A. Hildebrant, chief 

medical information officer and medical director for hospital 

medicine at RRMC. “Telemedicine is a tool we now have 

and it’s not going away.” 

Facilities will have to change in the future as well hospitals, 

he contineud. “The capability for negative pressure 

space is limited. RRMC has actually greater than most, but 

we still don’t have enough. When the next virus comes we 

need to be prepared... There will be another virus, we need 

to change and prepare for that… we’re going to be stocking 

PPE for the next pandemic.” 

Hildebrant and Fort also emphasized the importance 

of working with community partners, like UVM, regional 

primary care physicians, visiting nurses, nursing facilities 

and so many more.


How can I help my community through this pandemic? 

Governor Phil Scott is calling all Vermonters 

into service with the launch of a 

new website allowing people to sign up 

for volunteer assistance to support the 

state’s response to Covid-19: vermont. 

gov/volunteer. 

The website directs those with medical 

and healthcare skills (nurses, pharmacist, 

EMS, physician assistants, veterinarians, 

mental health workers, etc.) to the Medical 

Reserve Corp (MRC), and those willing 

to fill in for essential work positions (such 

as grocery workers, public works professionals, 

drivers, etc.) to a quick registration 

process to sign up to help. 

“The Covid-19 pandemic is rapidly 

developing, so we are calling on Vermonters 

to sign up, let us know what skills they 

can offer, and be ready to serve if needed,” 

states the call to action. “If we need 

you and your skills, we will be in touch. 

Our hope is to develop a large pool of 

people willing to help should any rapidly 

developing situation require additional 

volunteers. 

“Our current greatest need is for health 

care professionals. If you have medical 

experience or are a retired medical professional, 

please sign up below to join the 

Vermont Medical Reserve Corps. 

“We appreciate your interest in helping 

others during this moment in history. Together 

we will get through this and emerge 

stronger,” the statement continued. 

Health care professionals can get 

expedited temporary licenses 

Health care professionals can also now 

quickly become temporarily licensed to 

provide care during the Covid-19 public 

health emergency. 

Gov. Phil Scott signed Act 91 on March 

31, granting emergency authority to 

expedite temporary licensure for health 

care professionals. Bolstering the ranks of 

health care providers will expand access 

to medical services for patients and allow 

qualified retirees to serve Vermont at this 

difficult time. 

“We urgently need clinicians and other 

experienced health workers to help us 

meet the demand for care,” said Health 

Commissioner Mark Levine, MD. “We are 

asking anyone who is qualified to please 

consider helping.” 

The new emergency measures grant a 

temporary license for health professionals 

who: 

• Are licensed and in good standing 

in other states 

• Were licensed in Vermont, but 

whose licenses lapsed in recent 

years 

In Vermont, the Health Department’s 

Board of Medical Practice licenses 

medical doctors, physician assistants, and 

podiatrists. Other health care professions 

– including nurses and osteopathic 

physicians – are licensed by the Secretary 

of State’s Office of Professional Regulation. 

These provisions apply to people who 

were previously licensed. There are no 

fees of any kind to obtain a temporary 

emergency license. For more information 

visit sos.vermont.gov/opr or call 802-828- 

1505. 

Donate Personal Protection 

Equipment (PPE) 

Donations of N95 masks, medical and 

industrial grade, or surgical masks can be 

brought to your nearest State Police Barracks. 

You can find the location nearest to 

you at vsp.vermont.gov/stations. 

Give blood 

The American Red Cross is desperately 

seeking blood donors as the national 

supply is short. With thousands of blood 

drives cancelled during the Covid-19 pandemic, 

the organization is working hard to 

open new donation sites. 

“The need for blood is constant and 

your contribution is important for a 

healthy and reliable blood supply. You will 

feel good knowing you’ve helped change a 

life,” the American Red Cross states. 

The American Red Cross of New 

Hampshire & Vermont serves all residents 

in both states — a population of more than 

1.9 million people. We cover 24 counties 

and 18,973 square miles, the region operates 

with the support of a small group of 

paid staff and more than 1,100 dedicated 

volunteers. 

To support social distancing, appointments 

are now required. Visit redcross.org 

to make an appointment. Current upcoming 

blood drives are: 

Thursday, May 7 

Trinity Episcopal Church, 85 West St., 

Rutland 

Saturday, May 9 

Alliance Community Fellowship 

Church, 1 Scale Ave. suite 101 building 3a, 

Rutland 

Wednesday, May 13 

Furnace Brook Wesleyan Church, 2190 

Route 7, Pittsford 

Friday, May 15 

Alliance Community Fellowship 

Church, 1 Scale Ave. suite 101 building 3a, 

Rutland. 

Support your local food bank 

Not everyone has the financial stability 

to stock up on the two weeks of food 

needed for quarantine. Kids are home 

from school, businesses are closed, many 

friends and neighbors are out of work or 

isolated at home. You can help make sure 

that pantries are filled and that people are 

prepared to take good care of themselves 

and their loved ones. It is more important 

than ever to ensure that anyone in 

Vermont who needs a meal can get one. 

Donate online at vtfoodbank.org or text 

GIVEHEALTH to 85511. 

Rutland County Meals on Wheels is in 

need of volunteer delivery drivers 

Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging 

(SVCOA), administrators of the Rutland 

Courtesy RRMC 

Patients and visitors to Rutland Regional Medical Center can expect to have their temperature 

taken at the Stratton Road entrance. Masks are required and will be provided to 

those who don’t have them. 

County Meals on Wheels program, issued 

an urgent call for volunteer support to assist 

with Meals on Wheels deliveries to homebound 

older Vermonters throughout the 

area. 

“We’ve seen a drastic decline in the 

number of volunteer delivery drivers as the 

Covid-19 issue has progressed, coupled 

with a significant rise in demand for meals,” 

said Courtney Anderson, Nutrition Director 

with SVCOA. “As a result, we’ve had to alter 

delivery schedules and maximize staffing 

resources as best as possible. We are in great 

need of new drivers and hope that anyone 

who is interested or able will join the effort.” 

Anyone who is interested in volunteering 

as a Meals on Wheels delivery driver 

should contact Penny Jones at 802-775- 

0133 as soon as possible. 

SVCOA and Rutland County Meals on 

Wheels have implemented a number of 

thorough and stringent precautionary 

protocols for delivery drivers as directed by 

the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) 

and Vermont Department of Disabilities, 

Aging and Independent Living (DAIL). “We 

want to make it very clear to folks that there 

are significant protective measures in place 

that remove all in-person contact and that 

ensure the health and safety of delivery 

drivers, as well as meal recipients,” said Anderson. 

“This is a critical service for so many 

homebound individuals in our region, and 

we ask for your help.” 

Southern Vermont Council on Aging 

(SVCOA) is also offering a grocery and 

supply shopping service to support older 

Vermonters in Rutland and Bennington 

counties during the Covid-19. If you’re 

interested in volunteering, please call 

SVCOA at 802-786-5990. 

For more information visit svcoa.org. 

Donate money 

BROC-Community Action: Broc.org 

Rutland Regional Medical Center has 3 Covid-19 funds: the Community Support Fund, 

the Community Tele-Innovation Fund, and the Emergency Response Fund: 

rrmc.org/ways-to-give/fundraising/covid-19-fund 

Hunger Free Vermont: hungerfreevt.org/coronavirus 

Killington Relief Fund: facebook.com/onekillington 

Meals on Wheels: svcoa.org/ways-to-donate 

United Way of Rutland County: uwrutlandcounty.org 

Vermont Community Foundation: vermontcf.org 

Vermont Emergency management: vem.vermont.gov/donate 

Vermont Food Bank: vtfoodbank.org/give 

Woodstock Area Relief fund: woodstockcommunitytrust.com/covid-19 



Civil Engineering & Permitting 

for Private and Public Sector Projects 

We at Enman Kesselring 

Consulting Engineers want to 

thank all the workers on the 

front lines during this pandemic. 

Special Thank You 

AA Special Thank You You 

To the people on the front line fighting 

To the people on the front line fighting 

To the the 

the people war against Covid-19. 

war against on the front Covid-19. line fighting 

the war against Covid-19. 

• Commercial 

• Industrial 

• Institutional 

• Residential 

• Municipal 

• Environmental 

Permitting 

• Water supply 

• Wastewater 

Disposal 

• Stormwater 

Management 

• Act 250 & Local 

Zoning 

From 280 teammates of Pete’s Tire Barns, Inc. serving 

From the the280 transportation teammatesand of Pete’s farms Tire of New Barns, England. Inc. serving 

Fromthe thetransportation 280 teammates and of farms Pete’s of Tire New Barns, England. Inc. serving 

the transportation (Trucks and Move farms America) of New England. 

(Trucks Move America) 

(Trucks Move America) 

61 Prospect Street, Rutland, VT 05701 • 802-775-3437 

EnmanKesselringEngineers.com 

www.petestire.com 



Handling Family Court matters with dignity, compassion and respect. With over 15 

years experience, we will support you throughout the entire process. We provide 

cost efficiency solutions for your family law needs. 

Divorce | Custody | Visitation | Parentage | Child Support | Restraining Orders 

Thank you to all of those in the front 

lines fighting for the rest of us. 

39 Kingsley Ave. Rutland, VT 05701 

802.775.0700 

kevin@volzlegal.com 

www.volzlegal.com 



Stay Home. Stay Safe. 

We’re Here For You! 

EASY DUMPSTER RENTAL SERVICE 

FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT 

CURBSIDE PICKUP OF YOUR 

TRASH & RECYCLING 

Make the most of your time at home! 

Get the right sized dumpster, when you want it, 

where you want it and removed when you say so. 

Stop going to the local Drop-Off Center 

We provide safe, clean, and dependable service 

along with two large wheeled carts. 

Call 800-CASELLA today to sign up for service! 

RECYCLING • SOLUTIONS • ORGANICS • COLLECTION • ENERGY • LANDFILLS 

800-CASELLA • casella.com 


MAKE FIRST TRACKS 

LIVE SIX PEAKS 


Killington wants to 

THANK 

our front line workers 

and our first responders 

in this time of crisis. 

MAKE FIRST TRACKS 

LIVE SIX PEAKS 

LIVEKILLINGTON.COM 

A Development by 

LIVEKILLINGTON.COM 

EARN YOUR B.S. IN 

THREE YEARS 

A Development by 

RESORT & HOSPITALITY 

MANAGEMENT 

AT KILLINGTON 

U N I V E R S I T Y 

INFO@CASTLETON.EDU 

CASTLETON.EDU 

800.639.8521 


Thank you sponsors 

We wanted to thank all the organizations and businesses who supported this publication. This information 

will serve as a resource to our community as we help each other through the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Community action is the antidote to helping set this crisis on a course to recovery. We couldn’t have done 

it without the generous support and knowledgable contributions of our sponsors. Thank you! 

Mou nta i n Ti m e s 

Thank you 

McGrath’s 

Irish Pub 

Inn at 

L ng Trail 

Fair Haven Friday Nights 


RRMC Strong

COVID-19 Local Resource Guide

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