COVID-19

Centers for Disease Control

Vermont Department of Health

UVM Medical Center      

Vermont Emergency Management 

Vermont Department of Health FAQ

COVID UPDATE:  Here is information on the cases in Colchester.  Our cases are not surprising considering our residential and employment populations as well as our location in the most populated county in the State of Vermont. This includes cases from Saint Michaels College. 

Decreasing infection matters.  If you are unvaccinated, please wear a mask indoors when the presence of others when outside of the home.  Vaccinated individuals can choose to wear a mask or not but please bring masks with you when leaving your home as many business may require on.  Information about the requirements and recommendations for masking is available here. https://www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19/protect-yourself-others/prevent-covid-19

Social Media:  It is important to get information from reliable, credible sources. Misinformation and rumors can be common in rapidly changing situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage Vermonters to seek science-based information from trusted sources. Please do not post, repost, share, or forward information about COVID from second-hand, unconfirmed, or anonymous sources on social media.

Town Role in COVID-19 Response: Your Town staff continues to provide municipal services including rescue, fire, and police; maintenance of roads, paths, parks and buildings; library lending and programs; recreation programs; planning, zoning and permitting; Town clerk services; economic development and local public information.   We support these services with vehicle and equipment maintenance, information technology, human resources, finance, assessor, treasury, and coordination of resources.

Colchester’s Emergency Operations Plan is updated by the Selectboard annually. We have been monitoring the COVID-19 situation since January 2020, and developed continuation of operations plans for municipal services. The plans help maintain the crucial services; help keep the public safe, and help maintain the capacity of our first responding public safety services. Also in March 2020 , we declared a State of Emergency under the Colchester Code of Ordinances Chapter 16, Emergency Management, to allow the Town to exercise emergency powers to help protect the public health and safety of our community.

We are also in regular communication with the Vermont Emergency Operations Center regarding conditions in Colchester and taking advantage of State and Federal resources when they are available.

Town Services: The Town follows the recommendations from the State of Vermont and the Centers for Disease Control as they pertain to the Town as an employer and a provider of emergency and municipal services.  

The Town reduced services and resources in some areas due to COVID-19 due to reduced demand, reduced fees for fee based services, reduced ability to provide services while complying with the State rules to keep your town staff safe and able continue to provide community services.  We are bringing services back as demand, funding, and the labor market allow.  Services are more fully described in the departmental information below. 

Colchester Town Offices at 781 Blakely Rd. are open to the public from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm except for Town Holidays. Masks are required.  We are available by phone and email in the afternoon. Our online services are available 24/7. Town Directory: https://tinyurl.com/Col-Town-Dir

We cannot allow entry to anyone with COVID-19 symptoms to enter Town buildings. COVID-19 Symptoms include: Fever, Cough, Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, Chills, Repeated shaking with chills, Muscle pain, Headache, Sore throat, and New loss of taste or smell.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging time. 

Town Newsletters with COVID-19 updates  Click here

Other Local Services & Updates:

Vermont Vaccination Update:

The Vermont Depart of Health is registering resident 12 and up for the vaccine. To register for an appointment click here.

Vermont Modeling:

The latest modeling from the State of Vermont  https://dfr.vermont.gov/about-us/covid-19/modeling

Unemployment: 

Unemployment: During the current economic crisis caused by COVID-19, the unemployment rate rose extremely fast—but is now declining quickly, at least in Vermont and Colchester. Initially, the Colchester unemployment rate rose from 1.9% to 13.3% in two months. As of April, we are at 2.4%. Info on past downturns: https://colchestervt.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/693

The 2.4% unemployment rate only represents people who are actively looking for a job. The unemployment rate does not include people who cannot work due to lack of childcare or a variety of other reasons. The labor force is decreased by 8% since pre-COVID. in February 2020, 10,758 Colchester residents were in the labor force, but that number dropped to 9,906 in April 2021, a difference of 852 individuals.  This will impact our capacity to provide services at pre-COVID levels..  From March 2021 to April 2021, 125 more people are employed and 239 or 9 fewer are looking for work as our labor force grew by 184 people. Unemployment definitions: https://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm. National, State, County and Colchester Unemployment: http://www.vtlmi.info/laus.pdf

  Local Resources for those in Need:

  • Colchester Food Shelf  245 Main Street, Colchester, 802.879.2444 - Open Wed Noon - 6 PM
  • Chittenden County Food Shelf  228 North Winooski Ave, Burlington, 802. 658.7939 - Open M - F 9 AM - 4 PM
  • Commodity Supplemental Food Program offers free monthly boxes of staple foods to income-eligible adults over the age of 60.   Call 1-800-214-4648 or find info at: https://www.vtfoodbank.org/share-food/csfp  
  • Colchester Helping Colchester - Matching those in need of non-emergency assistance with volunteers for deliveries or other errands.  If you are in need of assistance:
  • Vermont COVID Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program: The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) is accepting applications for those who may have missed mortgage payments due to financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The State of Vermont received money through the Federal CARES Act to fund this program. Any homeowner living in Vermont as their primary residence who entered a mortgage before March 1, 2020 and missed payments since that date due to a COVID-19 hardship are eligible to apply. Additionally, income limits of up to $84,000 in 2020 or up to $21,000 in the last 90 days ($96,000 total income in 2020 or $24,000 in the last 90 days for homeowners in Chittenden County) apply. Homeowners are eligible even if the mortgage is already in forbearance or deferment. 

  • WIC  - Healthy food and support for you if you are pregnant or a parent or caregiver for a child under the age of 5. Call 2-1-1 or find info at the above link. Check if you qualify for WIC. 

  • 3SquaresVT (known nationally as SNAP) Available when we need a little help buying food. The program provides Vermonters funds on an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, which works like a debit card. EBT cards can be used to purchase food at grocery and convenience stores, co-ops, and many farmers markets. Call 1-855-855-6181.

  • AgeWellVT.org The leading experts and advocates for the aging population of Northwestern Vermont.  Care and service coordination; Meals on Wheels; community meals; wellness programs, social activities; expertise on Medicare, insurance and long/short-term care options. To access free services or volunteer call 1-800-642-5119.  

    Unemployment and Pandemic Unemployment Vermont Department of Labor 800-983-2300.

  • Vermont 211: Dial 211 for a directory of state and non-profit human service programs including financial assistance for those that have lost a loved one due to COVID-19. The loss of any individual is devastating but many have been accompanied by the hardship of paying for funeral services. 

Residential Information:

Mental Health Resources:

  • First Call For Chittenden County Serving clients and the community regardless of age or diagnosis. Trained staff is available 24/7/365, regardless of the type of service. Call for phone support, crisis intervention and assessment, referrals to appropriate services, and connection to follow-up care. Call    802-488-7777
  • Coronavirus and Our Mental Health Sponsored by the Vermont Agency of Human Services.
  • Mental Health: How to Get Help Sponsored by the Vermont Agency of Human Services.

Business Information:

New Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grant:

A new grant program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or RRF, is launching soon restaurants, brew pubs, food trucks, coffee shops, bars and many more. The new website www.sba.gov/restaurants shares substantial information on how the program will roll out, the application questions and the documents to prepare.  For more information you can also click below.

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options/restaurant-revitalization-fund

Recent News from the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development:

  • ACCD hosted a webinar for businesses to discuss the Vermont Forward Plan and answer questions about the guidance and timeline. The webinar recording and slide deck are available at the ACCD Business Recovery Resource Center. Common questions submitted during the webinar focused on how to deal with vaccinated versus unvaccinated people, remote work, contact tracing logs, and management of events and gatherings.
  • Vermont businesses continue to be encouraged to take advantage of the federal and sector specific financial assistance programs currently available, including:  The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) deadline was extended to May 31st. The Vermont District Office of the Small Business Administration continues to offer two weekly webinars on First and Second Draw PPP loans and PPP loan forgiveness.
  • Vermont Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) funding: A second round of sole proprietor grants, ranging from $1,500 and $10,000, are now open to qualifying sole proprietors on a first come, first served basis.
  • Cultural Facilities Grants offered by the Vermont Arts Council provide awards of up to $30,000 to Vermont nonprofit organizations and municipalities to increase the physical capacity to provide cultural activities. Applications are being accepted through June 7th.
  • The Vermont Department of Labor is seeking summer employment opportunities for Vermont’s young adults, and wants to hear from Vermont employers and business leaders interested in potentially providing work experiences (paid and unpaid) to Vermont youth and young adults this summer.

Business Resources:

Local Volunteering Opportunities:

State-wide Volunteering Opportunities:

Direct Federal Assistance via the American Rescue Plan Act 

  • Cash Payments: Immediate cash relief will be granted to individuals and families in the form of new $1,400 stimulus payments. Individuals earning up to $75,000, single parents earning $112,500 and couples earning up to $150,000 are eligible for the $1,400 payment, with the amount decreasing for individuals making between $75,000 and $80,000. Individuals earning more than $80,000, single parents earning $120,000 and couples earning more than $160,000 are disqualified from receiving stimulus checks. An additional $1,400 will be paid for each dependent of the taxpayer, including adult dependents (e.g., college students, parents). The amount of the stimulus check will be based on information in the taxpayer’s 2020 tax return if it has been filed and processed; otherwise, the 2019 return will be used. The amount of the check will not be taxable income for the recipient.
      
  • Extended Unemployment Benefits: Weekly federal unemployment benefits (which apply in addition to any state unemployment benefits) of $300 will be extended through September 6, 2021. Additionally, the first $10,200 of unemployment insurance received in 2020 would be nontaxable income for workers in households with income up to $150,000. The extension also covers the self-employed and individual contractors (e.g., gig workers) who typically are not entitled to unemployment benefits.
      
  • Child Tax Credit: The child tax credit will be expanded considerably for 2021 to help low- and middle-income taxpayers (many of the same individuals who will be eligible for stimulus checks), and the credit will be refundable. The amount of the credit will increase from the current $2,000 (for children under 17) to $3,000 per eligible child ($3,600 for a child under age six), and the $3,000 will be available for children that are 17 years old. The increase in the maximum amount will phase out for heads of households earning $112,500 ($150,000 for couples). Because the enhanced child tax credit will be fully refundable, eligible taxpayers will receive a check for any credit amount not used to offset the individual’s federal income tax liability. Part of the credit will be paid in advance by the IRS during the period July through December 2021 so that taxpayers do not have to wait until they file their tax returns for 2021.
  • Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit will be expanded for 2021 to cover up to 50% of qualifying childcare expenses up to $4,000 for one child and $8,000 for two or more children for 2021 (currently the credit is up to 35% of $3,000 for one child or 35% of $6,000 for two or more children). The credit will be refundable so that families with a low tax liability will be able to benefit; the refund will be fully available to families earning less than $125,000 and partially available for those earning between $125,000 and $400,000.
     
  • Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): The EITC will be expanded for 2021 to ensure that it is available to low paid workers who do not have any children in the home. The maximum credit will increase from about $530 to about $1,500, and the income cap to qualify for the EITC will go from about $16,000 to about $21,000. Further, the EITC will be available to individuals age 19-24 who are not full-time students and those over 65.