Governor Phil Scott Announces the State of Vermont is Distributing 300,000 Free Cloth Face Coverings

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced that the State of Vermont will distribute up to 300,000 cloth face coverings to the public, emergency responders and select agencies throughout the month of August. The State Emergency Operations Center procured the masks from those donated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Face Coverings Mandatory in All Public Places

As of August 1, face coverings are mandatory in all public places in Vermont(link is external). While wearing a mask is not a substitute for physical distancing and other mitigation measures, public health experts advise that masks help limit the spread of COVID-19 and should be worn in public when physical distancing is not possible.

“We’ve made considerable gains in our effort to limit the spread of this virus and it’s critical that we protect this progress by following all public health guidelines, including wearing a mask,” said Governor Phil Scott. “I’m so proud of Vermonters for stepping up to keep their families, friends and neighbors safe, and I’m thankful to our federal, state and local partners who are helping to get these free masks to communities across the state.”

Vermont Emergency Management, the Health Department, the Agency of Transportation and the Vermont National Guard are facilitating the distribution effort. 200,000 masks have already gone out or will soon go out to towns, school nurses, community action agencies, the Vermont Department of Health Equity Team and district offices, emergency response agencies, the Vermont National Guard and food distribution sites.

Masks Available by Contacting Towns

Vermonters may access these free face coverings through their towns. Municipalities are responsible for distributing the masks and many are working with their emergency services departments (i.e. fire and police) to aid in that effort.

To obtain a face mask, please visit vem.vermont.gov/maskdistribution(link is external) to find your local contact. If your town is not listed, then your local officials may have not requested their allotment or provided contact information.

For more information on:

• COVID-19 health information, guidance and case data, visit www.healthvermont.gov/covid19.
• The Governor’s actions, visit https://governor.vermont.gov/covid19response(link is external).
• The state’s modeling, visit https://dfr.vermont.gov/about-us/covid-19/modeling(link is external).

— Reprinted Press Release issued on August 13, 2020