A nursing home resident at Burlington Health & Rehab has tested positive for COVID-19, the facility confirmed Tuesday evening. Burlington city officials said they were aware of a second case linked to the same location.

The resident has since been moved from the Pearl Street facility, which provides skilled nursing care, short-term rehabilitation services and respite care. VTDigger.org first reported the case.

The 126-bed nursing home is one of nine in Vermont owned by Genesis HealthCare, a publicly traded company that operates more than 400 facilities nationwide.

The Vermont Department of Health reported five new cases of coronavirus Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 17. Two of the new cases involve Vermont residents.

During a virtual town hall meeting Sunday afternoon, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger delivered a clear message: What's taken for normal in the Queen City will change during the coronavirus crisis that has gripped the globe.

"Many things that we expect as part of our daily lives are likely to change," Weinberger said. The session was streamed live on Facebook and conducted via conference call.

Burlington has not yet mandated closing bars or restaurants — as other cities and states have done in recent days — but the move is not out of the question, the mayor said.

"Even though the numbers appear to be quite low right now, I'm gonna have
a pretty low threshold in terms of triggering further action that would do what we can, as a local government, to ensure social distancing," Weinberger said. "People should expect that there will be further changes in the community as this week unfolds."

Vermont currently has eight confirmed cases of COVID-19, including two in Chittenden County. Many Burlington businesses have closed and postponed events since the Vermont Department of Health announced the state's first cases last week.

Updated on March 13, 2020.

A top administrator with the Providence, R.I., public school system will be Burlington's next superintendent of schools.

The city school board voted unanimously Thursday evening to hire Thomas Flanagan Jr. under a two-year contract that starts this summer.

His experience in handling special education, school construction projects and attempting to close the student academic achievement gap helped him rise above the competition, board members said. The board had announced three finalists and had invited them to a public forum last week.

"He brings years of experience leading curriculum efforts and has significant expertise in teaching and in special education," board chair Clare Wool said.

Flanagan's experience in Providence, as well as prior experience in Washington, D.C., shows he has a track record in districts with racial and economic diversity, another plus, board members said.

A controversial plan to park Amtrak passenger trains overnight in a busy section of Burlington's waterfront has been derailed.

The trains will instead be parked just to the south in the Vermont Rail System rail yard, the Vermont Transportation Agency announced Thursday afternoon.

That's good news to critics who said trains should not be allowed to spew noise and fumes overnight in a heavily visited section of Burlington's redeveloped, recreational waterfront. The area between Maple and College streets had been under consideration.

"My faith in humanity has been restored," said Melinda Moulton, CEO of Main Street Landing, who lobbied for restoring passenger rail service to Burlington but wants the trains to park in the rail yard.

The train service is expected to begin in 2021 with Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express, which currently runs from New York City to Rutland via Albany, N.Y. Amtrak will extend its run to Burlington after track improvements are completed and the train will arrive at Union Station, which has been redeveloped by Main Street Landing. 

“This decision represents substantial assessment and collaboration by VTrans, the City of Burlington, and Vermont Rail System, as well as serious consideration of public response,” state Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said in a press release.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger praised the resolution.

It's a "great outcome for Burlington that achieves all the goals the City has had throughout this process,” Weinberger said in a press release. “Thanks to close collaboration between the City, the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and Vermont Rail Systems, we are restoring passenger rail service to downtown Burlington for the first time in decades, while also protecting the vibrancy of our waterfront, improving the Bike Path, and minimizing impacts on Burlington residents and businesses."

The plan will not impact existing rail yard operations, according to the press release, and the new overnight parking location means that a second track between Maple and College streets will not be needed.

A second track could have allowed fuel tanker cars as well as passenger trains to block the central waterfront, critics had worried.

"All the years that we've all worked to create this beautiful place for people was not the place to be storing and servicing trains,'' Moulton said.

The Burlington City Council on Monday night voted to adopt a policy that will bar local police from collaborating with federal immigration agents.

The council voted 11 to 1 to approve a new Fair and Impartial Policing Policy, with outgoing City Council President Kurt Wright (R-Ward 4) casting the lone no vote.

The sizable crowd erupted in cheers as soon as the vote total was announced.

“Vermont will fight for immigrant rights!” they chanted.

The elation was in stark contrast with the tense atmosphere that dominated most of the hourlong discussion. When a member of the crowd applauded or spoke out of turn, Wright threatened to delay action on the item, which drew a large, passionate crowd at two consecutive city council meetings.

The council president's attempts to restore decorum were met with boos and jeers. When someone interrupted Councilor Chip Mason (D-Ward 5)'s statement, Wright urged them to listen to differing points of view. "Well fuck you, too!" the person yelled in response.

After the vote, a Channel 17 livestream of the meeting recorded Wright discussing his thoughts on the vote.

“I’m ashamed of this council,” he said. “I really am.”

"Nothing but a bunch of pandering city councilors," Wright continued. "Just pandered to them. Disgraceful."