AGENCY OF COMMERCE RELEASES NEW GUIDANCE FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, YARD SALES, AND SWIMMING FACILITIES

Montpelier, Vt. –  The Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) has released updated guidance for professional services, yard sales, swimming facilities, and lodging properties. This guidance, developed with the Department of Health and Department of Public Safety, is in accordance with Governor Phil Scott’s Be Smart, Stay Safe initiative and goes into effect immediately.

Low contact professional services, including but not limited to attorneys, accountants, realtors, non-profit workers, and municipal workers, will be able to resume in-person business operations in settings of ten or fewer people. This includes allowing necessary in-person operations in offices and in the field, such as real estate showings and small meetings, provided that participants follow the mandatory health and safety guidelines including physical distancing and cloth face mask recommendations. Organizations must continue remote work whenever possible. Operators must maintain a log of customers and their contact information for 30 days in the event contact tracing is required by the Health Department. 

Prior to Tuesday’s guidance, these businesses were restricted to one-on-one interactions.

ACCD also made the following clarifications to existing guidance:

• Pools, beaches and swimming facilities may open in accordance with previously issued outdoor recreation and fitness guidance. Operators must reduce high contact surfaces and common areas, limit gatherings of people to 10 or less, and regularly clean and disinfect restrooms and other common facilities per CDC guidelines. 
• Vermonters may hold yard sales and garage sales with 10 or fewer people. Hosts and visitors must practice social distancing and it is recommended that they wear cloth face coverings.
• Those coming to Vermont from out-of-state must quarantine in Vermont before utilizing a lodging property, campground or short-term rental.

Find the full guidance and updated Restart Memo here: https://accd.vermont.gov/news/update-new-work-safe-additions-be-smart-stay-safe-order

Restart Resources for ALL businesses as they are reopened:  https://accd.vermont.gov/covid-19/business/restart 

Sector-specific guidance: https://accd.vermont.gov/content/stay-home-stay-safe-sector-specific-guidance

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