Gov. Phil Scott announced Monday evening that he has extended Vermont’s state of emergency until March 15 — more than a year after he first assumed emergency powers on March 13, 2020.
The governor has routinely extended or amended the executive order on a monthly basis throughout the pandemic and could do so again in March. The order is the principle legal mechanism through which the state has imposed many of its public health measures and shutdown restrictions.
“As we continue to vaccinate more Vermonters, prioritizing those most vulnerable to severe illness or death from COVID-19, I’m hopeful there won’t be too many more of these extensions and we’ll get back to some sense of normal,” Scott said in a statement.
The announcement comes as Vermont is set to open Phase 3 of its Covid-19 vaccine distribution plan, which will allow Vermonters age 70 and older to register for the vaccine, beginning Tuesday.
— Lola Duffort
