Community & Individual Resources
Effective immediately (June 14, 2021), the Governor has lifted all COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions. Universal guidance is no longer in effect.
Full Plates VT
The Vermont Foodbank is excited to announce the launch of Full Plates VT. Full Plates VT will distribute food boxes, made up of produce and other fresh and shelf-stable items, at drive through style distributions throughout all fourteen counties in Vermont. The program is currently scheduled to run from June – September, 2021. New dates will continue to be added to the registration website so please continue to check-back for new distributions.
Everyone Eats
Everyone Eats has restarted in Chittenden County & Central Vermont. Everyone Eats is a CARES Act-funded program that supports local restaurants, farms, and producers, while providing healthy, prepared meals to Vermonters in need. If you’re experiencing food insecurity the Central Vermont Everyone Eats hub has meals for you! Distribution sites in Central Vermont are:
- East Calais General Store
- Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield
- Zen Barn in Waterbury
- Cabot Village Store
- Multiple locations in Montpelier and Barre
To see the newest distribution sites and dates, visit https://shiftmeals.org/everyone-eats/
FEMA Financial Assistance Available for COVID-19 Funeral Expenses
FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. Call 844-684-6333 to get a COVID-19 Funeral Assistance application completed with help from FEMA’s representatives. For additional information please visit the FEMA Funeral Assistance webpage
Fraud Alert: FEMA has received reports of scammers reaching out to people offering to register them for funeral assistance. FEMA has not sent any such notifications and does not contact people before they register for assistance.
Vaccine Information on VDH Website
Learn more about what information you will need to make the appointment on healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. You’ll also find links to Frequently Asked Questions and a video about the online process.
Anyone who needs to speak with someone in a language other than English can call the Call Center @ 855-722-7878, then press 1.
Relatives or friends are encouraged as appropriate to assist people who are eligible in making an appointment.
Vermont will follow new CDC guidance for vaccinated people exposed to someone with COVID-19
Vermont will follow CDC’s new guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated and are exposed to someone with COVID-19. The CDC says these people do not need to quarantine, as long as they:
- Are fully vaccinated (had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and two weeks have passed)
- Are within 3 months of receiving the second dose of the vaccine
- Have not had any COVID-19 symptoms since the exposure.
Vaccinated inpatients and residents in health care settings will still need to quarantine if they are a close contact of someone with COVID-19. Read the CDC’s guidance.
Sign up to VTAlert for COVID-19 UpdatesVT-ALERT is used by the state and local responders to notify the public of emergency situations including evacuation information; chemical spills; shelter-in-place alerts; severe weather advisories, and more. Residents can tailor the alerts to specific locations, types of alerts and on which devices they will be notified. VTAlert will now provide COVID-19 information including changes in safety guidance, availability of vaccines, and other important info.
- Sign up here: https://vem.vermont.gov/vtalert and select “COVID information” under the “Health Alerts” tab.
- If you already have an account, log in to update your subscriptions and receive COVID information.
The Washington and Northern Orange Counties Regional Response Command Center (WNOC-RRCC) has been established to meet the needs of vulnerable populations; and to the extent possible, insure our medical system is not overwhelmed. Sign up for their weekly newsletter here. Call Center hours are changing. The Call Center will no longer be staffed on weekends, and the new hours are: 10:00 am-4:00 pm on weekdays. Call or Text 802-636-2025.
Vermont Council on Rural Development has compiled a COVID 19 Community Response & Mutual Aid Toolkit to serve as a best practices guide for establishing local mutual aid networks and is hosting regular online convening’s for local and regional response groups, Contact mailto:info@vtrural.org or (802) 223-6091 with questions.
Transportation
Green Mountain Transit has experienced a decrease in ridership and driver shortages as a result of COVID-19. See https://ridegmt.com/covid-19-update/ for a full list of service modifications.
Interactive Public Wi-Fi Hot Spot Map Now Available
The Vermont Department of Public Service has released an interactive Public Wi-Fi Hot Spot Map to help Vermonters connect to publicly available internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The map includes the location of the Wi-Fi hot spots and pertinent information about how to access them, including places where users can access Wi-Fi from outside the building or in a parked vehicle to encourage social distancing. Vermonters are encouraged to send information about Wi-Fi hot spots to psd.telecom@vermont.gov and review additional connectivity resources from the Department of Public Service online.