The University of Vermont and the state Department of Health are working with the Vermont National Guard to set up an on-campus testing site for students as they begin to return to Burlington on June 1.

Many off-campus leases begin that day, and the city and UVM are expecting students, a majority from out of state, to start streaming back into town. Officials and city residents have expressed concerns that those students could bring the coronavirus back with them.

Out-of-state students, like anyone returning to Vermont, must quarantine for 14 days — meaning stay on their property — before venturing out. Mayor Miro Weinberger said during a briefing Friday that, anticipating difficulties, the city will implement a "supportive quarantine" service for housebound students.

Vermont officials on Friday announced further steps to reopen the state's economy and health care system as part of the ongoing coronavirus recovery efforts.

But the good news was tempered by Gov. Phil Scott's order that all fairs and festivals be canceled "until further notice." Shortly after the governor's announcement, the Champlain Valley Exposition said it would cancel its annual 10-day fair, held each August in Essex Junction.


Scott, who outlined the latest turns of his metaphorical spigot during his regular press briefing Friday, said his goal is to reopen most businesses to 25 percent capacity by June 1.

"Then we can get on a path to all moving together in a very systematic way," he said.

Burlington's North Beach Campground will again host a low-barrier homeless shelter, this time with a sanctioned tenting site.

ANEW Place will begin operating a 30-tent shelter on June 1, according to executive director Kevin Pounds. Guests had previously stayed there in leased camper-trailers.

The popular spot will otherwise be closed for camping this season, though pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles can still access the property, according to the Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department. City officials did not immediately respond to an interview request.

The 137-site North Beach Campground draws nearly 30,000 visitors between May and October every year. Campsite reservations there accounted for more than $625,000 in revenue in 2018.
Pounds is grateful that the city has offered up the space.

"This is a unique situation," he said, adding, "The city has been very proactive in working with us to find solutions."

Updated at 5:18 p.m.

Another food giveaway — this time at the Middlebury State Airport — drew thousands of Vermonters who lined the approaching roads on Wednesday and waited hours for provisions.

Many in line said they had never before experienced food insecurity. The scope of this and other food assistance events have been unparalleled in Vermont's modern history.

"My daughter came out of the driveway to get in line at seven o'clock, and the line was already way down [Route] 116 and around the corner," said Jason Murray, who lives on Airport Road. "She got back probably around 10:45."

"They're doing a good job, though," he added.

The owner of Club Fitness of Vermont has moved his Rutland gym outside to sidestep a court order that his business remain closed.

Sean Manovill said he wheeled cardio machines and free weights into the parking lot on Tuesday morning, arguing that a temporary restraining order handed down by a judge last week only applies to indoor activities.

"I'm definitely not in contempt of court," he said. "Absolutely not. I'm not doing anything that is wrong."

Attorney General T.J. Donovan sued Manovill last Friday following failed negotiations with the gym owner, who had opened the business in defiance of state mandates intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Just hours after the lawsuit was filed, a Rutland Superior Court judge sided with the state and prohibited Club Fitness from conducting "any in-person, indoor operations" so long as Gov. Phil Scott's executive order remains in effect.

Manovill's gym reopened in some capacity anyway, WCAX-TV reported Monday, citing the gym owner himself.

Updated at 4:20 p.m.

The leaders of the state Senate and House on Tuesday called for Gov. Phil Scott to require Vermonters to wear face masks while shopping and engaging in other public activities.

An executive order reopening retail stores on Monday mandated that employees wear face coverings, but the governor has resisted forcing customers to do the same. Speaking to reporters Tuesday morning, Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden) said the edict had the "very strange consequence" of protecting the customer from the coronavirus, but not the employee.

"I feel like we would be doing everyone a favor by having one uniform policy," he said.

Ashe suggested that if Scott refused to change course, he would ask fellow senators whether they have "the appetite to push for a mandatory policy." The pro tem added, "It's not ideal for the legislature to be making public health orders, effectively, but if the governor isn't going to go there, then I think we've gotta at least debate the question."

A judge on Friday granted the state a restraining order against a Vermont man who opened his indoor fitness centers in defiance of Gov. Phil Scott's executive order.

The ruling came just hours after Attorney General T.J. Donovan filed a civil lawsuit in Rutland Superior Court accusing Sean Manovill of illegally operating two Club Fitness gyms and not taking basic steps to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 at his businesses.

The judge's order forces the gyms in Rutland and Castleton to close until further notice. The state is also asking a judge to issue penalties of up to $1,000 for each day Manovill violated the order, and for him to reimburse the state for its investigative and court costs.

Updated, 6:50 p.m.

Gov. Phil Scott on Friday detailed further plans to transition Vermont out of the coronavirus crisis and into recovery mode, with the hope that more people can soon return to work and other activities.

And while he moved to extend his state of emergency at least another month, Scott vowed to continue relaxing orders meant to keep Vermonters home — as long as recent positive trends continue.

"Even as we've slowly restarted the economy over the last four weeks, we continue to move in the right direction," Scott said at one of his thrice-weekly press briefings. "In fact, we have the lowest three-day and seven-day growth rates in the country."

Scott said current coronavirus modeling data show that the state can continue opening up sectors of its economy in the coming weeks. Vermont reported only one new case on Friday and has averaged less than three daily over the last week.

Scott said specific announcements likely to come by June 1 include the reopening of close-contact businesses and the start of outdoor dining. He said he also expects to increase the size of allowable gatherings from 10 to 25 people.

On Friday, officials also announced new guidance for lodging facilities, which have been unable to accept nonessential guests since late March. Starting May 22, lodging operations, short-term rentals, campgrounds and marinas may accept overnight guests including both Vermonters and people from out of state as long as they have met the 14-day quarantine requirement, according to Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle.

Operations can only book up to 25 percent of their capacity and must ensure that there are no gatherings of more than 10 people. They must also limit all direct services — such as check-in and housekeeping — to the greatest extent possible, and maintain a guest log of at least 30 days "in case contact tracing is required," Kurrle said. And patrons must fill out a questionnaire confirming that they have met the quarantine requirement.
"These new requirements are less about where you are from and more about where you have been, and who you have been in contact with," Kurrle said. "For this reason, we want all guests to certify that they have been in the state for 14 days and that they have been symptom free during that time."

Lodging will become the latest sector of the economy to reopen in limited fashion this month. On Monday, Scott said retail stores that follow certain health guidelines can reopen May 18. And the administration announced last week that childcare centers may reopen on June 1, with summer camps also allowed to operate this year.

Michael Pieciak, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, who has overseen the state's modeling efforts, said that new coronavirus cases have risen slightly after each turn of the economic spigot. But he said the state has not seen any "considerable uptick" and noted that only one COVID-19 patient was hospitalized in an intensive care unit as of Friday.

"This week, we are reporting a common theme: Vermont's trends are continuing to improve, and we are performing better than forecasted," Pieciak said. "In fact, Vermont's COVID-19 experience stands out for its success regionally and serves as an example nationally of a state well positioned to safely and strategically reopen its economy."

State officials announced some positive news as well about the state's only prison for women, the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility. Staff and inmates there were tested en masse after an officer was found to be infected. But none of the 42 staff or 76 inmates tested positive, officials said Friday.

Though some Vermonters have called on Scott to speed up his recovery plan, others have pushed him to take more proactive steps to protect those already returning to work. For example, some business leaders have pressured Scott to mandate that people wear masks whenever in public, calls that have risen in light of the anticipated reopening of retail.

Scott has said he prefers to educate Vermonters about facial coverings rather than mandate their use. But he noted last week that he would consider additional steps if people don't wear them voluntarily and said Friday that he now believes it is appropriate for municipalities to adopt stricter mask-related rules if so inclined.

Health experts around the country remain unsure whether the pandemic will return with another wave later this year as more and more states reopen their economies.

With that in mind, Scott has repeatedly stressed that it is too early for the Green Mountain State to declare victory against the virus, especially with outbreaks still a threat in nearby states. But after governing in crisis mode for the last two months, Scott allowed himself a brief moment on Friday to reflect.

"We're now two months into the state of emergency, and I've got to admit, it seems like a year ago. It's incredible to think back on all that's happened since early March," he said. "We've all been through a lot.

"In the beginning, we saw how quickly things closed down, one by one," he continued, "and now, our emotions are raw as we methodically reopen. All this has been difficult for all of us. I just want to say how proud I am to serve as your governor, seeing Vermonters step up time and time again."

Vermonters who feel fine but worry about recent exposure to coronavirus can get tested at a series of "pop-up" events scheduled over the next two weeks.

The Vermont Department of Health is hosting daylong testing clinics for asymptomatic residents in 11 cities and towns between May 14 and May 23.

In an announcement Wednesday, the department encouraged health care workers, first responders, childcare providers and people returning to Vermont to sign up for the events, but anyone who doesn't have flu-like symptoms can make an online appointment.

No doctor's referral is necessary, but appointments are required. Anyone with symptoms should contact their health care provider for a testing referral, according to the Health Department.

Until now, most asymptomatic residents could not get tested for COVID-19, but the clinics are part of Gov. Phil Scott's plan to expand testing as one way to suppress future outbreaks. Their goal is to eventually test 1,000 people per day.

More than 400 tests were conducted at recent pop-up clinics for essential workers in Bennington and Colchester, according to the Bennington Banner and WCAX.

"We are expanding our testing capability quite aggressively in this state," Human Services Secretary Mike Smith told reporters Wednesday. "The objective is that everybody who wants a test, will get a test."

Thursday's clinic at Brattleboro Union High School already has a wait list, according to the state registration portal.

Future clinics include:

Saturday, May 16

• White River Junction: Upper Valley Aquatic Center, 100 Arboretum Lane
• Colchester: Vermont Public Health Laboratory, 359 South Park Drive

Monday, May 18

• Rutland: Rutland High School, 22 Stratton Road

Tuesday, May 19

• Barre: Barre Memorial Auditorium, 16 Auditorium Hill

Wednesday, May 20

• Middlebury: American Legion Post 27-49, 49 Wilson Road
• St. Albans: Collins Perley Sports Complex, 890 Fairfax Road

Thursday, May 21

• Newport: North Country Union High School, 209 Veterans Avenue

Friday, May 22

• Springfield: Springfield High School, 303 South Street
• Morristown: Capstone Community Action, 250 Industrial Park

Saturday, May 23

• Lyndonville: Lyndon Town School, 2591 Lily Pond Road

 Weeks after the pandemic took hold in Vermont, the health care industry won sweeping immunity from civil liability over how workers in facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes respond.

In an April 10 executive order, Gov. Phil Scott extended to most health care facilities and providers the same protections that firefighters, police officers and National Guard members enjoy when responding to natural disasters.

The order classifies emergency room nurses, health aides and even dentists as emergency responders in the pandemic, entitled to the same limits on liability as those who run into burning buildings or rescue residents stranded by rising floodwaters.

Those workers and their employers can’t face civil liability except for in cases of misconduct or gross negligence.