Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Posted at 11:50 a.m.
Burlington,
We know that there is a lot of different guidance out there on what we should all be doing to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Here is a summary of the current orders in Vermont:
- You cannot visit elderly or psychiatric care facilities, except to visit residents who are receiving end-of-life care.
- You cannot go out to bars and restaurants to dine in person (though restaurants can still offer takeout and delivery).
- Burlington schools and City buildings will be closed starting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18.
- You cannot gather in groups of more than 50 people or 50 percent of a location’s capacity, whichever number is lower.
- If you have questions about COVID-19, you can call the State phone number at 2-1-1 or (866) 652-4636. The Vermont Department of Health also has additional information on their website.
Here in Burlington, the City urges everyone to consider going even further. The White House is advising people not to gather in groups of more than 10 people, and other cities around the U.S. are instructing residents to "shelter in place." The City of San Francisco, for instance, is requiring residents to stay home except for essential needs, which are to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care, or go to an essential job (see more).
We are closely following the spread of the virus and considering measures such as these for Burlington too, and will continue to update our formal recommendations and requirements. Even now though, we encourage everyone to be aware of measures such as these and consider practicing them.
Right now, we all need to be focused on implementing the measures we can – whether that is in your capacity as an individual, the head of a household, an organizational leader, or other roles – to slow the spread of this virus. That is the priority for today, and I expect the next few days.
Once we have done that, then there will be a lot more to figure out. There are huge questions to be answered in the days ahead about how long we will need to be in this isolated posture, how we best take care of our children, our elderly, and ourselves during what is likely to be an extended period, and how we make sure everyone has the resources they need even with large sectors of the economy shut down. In the days and months ahead, I am committed to doing everything the City can to get those questions answered quickly, and doing what it takes to get through these challenging times.
We don’t know what this is all going to look like yet. But here in Burlington, and across Vermont, we will work through it together.
- Miro
We will continue to update the City website with the latest information for Burlington: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/covid-19
