COVID-19 News & Reports

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How R.I.'s coronavirus testing compares to the rest of the country (Boston Globe)

(Contributed by Dan McGowan, Boston Globe)

We see the numbers every day: Rhode Island was up to 3,838 coronavirus cases as of Thursday [update: 5,090 cases as of April, 20, according to RIDOH], and 105 residents had died. There were 245 people in the hospital, 61 in intensive care, and 43 on ventilators.

We now see some of the projections: State officials believe the peak will be in early May, and there’s a potential that the virus could kill 2,120 residents by October. Under a dark scenario, we could see more than 4,000 fatalities.  

So how do we compare to the rest of the country?

There isn’t necessarily a perfect way to compare Rhode Island to other states because testing has been all over the place, and as Dr.Deborah Birx said this week, our state is caught between to two hot spots in New York and Boston.

But we do know that the New York Times is tracking cases and deaths per 100,000 people, and Vox is tracking tests per 1 million people. So here’s a look.

At 303 cases per 100,000 people (as of April 14), Rhode Island had the eighth-highest caseload among states and territories (including Guam and Washington, D.C.). Massachusetts (467 per 100,000) and Connecticut (446 per 100,000) were among the New England states with higher caseloads. Rhode Island was also eighth in the country with 10 deaths per 100,000 people.

Testing is where Rhode Island truly punches above its wait, thanks in large part to CVS Health’s decision to set up a rapid test site at Twin River in Lincoln.

At 24,446 tests per million, Rhode Island ranked third in the country behind only New York (27,039 per million) and Louisiana (26,228 per million). While Massachusetts and Vermont round out the top five, both states trail far behind Rhode Island.

We’ll keep checking in on the state-by-state numbers as more data comes in over the next few weeks.

Gov. Raimondo Update on Unemployment Insurance

Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), made several announcements today about the state's response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

• Unemployment Insurance: The Governor signed an executive order yesterday ensuring that individual businesses that have closed as a result of COVID-19 will not be penalized for their workers accessing unemployment insurance. This order also allows for data sharing between state agencies. Rather than seeking individual tax records on a case-by-case basis, the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) will have access to the records of every person that has applied, speeding up their ability to process claims. It also allows for recent DLT retirees to rejoin state service and help process claims, without having to sacrifice their pensions. This will allow experienced workers to immediately help speed up processing.

• Domestic Violence: The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and all of its member agencies are open, as are domestic violence shelters. Rhode Islanders seeking help can call the 24/7 confidential hotline at 1-800-494-8100. Services are provided in English and in Spanish. While courts are closed for non-essential business including evictions, they are open for all domestic violence matters.

• RIPTA: As of today, RIPTA will be limiting capacity on all busses to no more than 15 passengers to allow for more space. They're also asking all passengers to use cloth face coverings when out in public. Starting next week, RIPTA will be filling gaps on delivery routes for Meals on Wheels.

The Governor also clarified eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance. As a general rule, Rhode Islanders can collect unemployment insurance only if they have been laid off or have had their hours reduced. In the CARES Act, the federal government expanded eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits – called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – for two specific groups of individuals:

1. • The self-employed and those who are sole proprietors, like hairdressers and gig economy workers, and

2. • Individuals who have COVID-19, have been quarantined or have been told by a doctor to self-quarantine because they are high risk, or are the only person available to care for a child or loved one who cannot stay home alone because the place they received care is closed due to COVID-19.

Watch

Steph Curry and

Dr. Anthony Fauci discuss the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19’S IMPACT ON R.I. NONPROFITS (United Way of RI)

Update on COVID-19 from the State of Rhode Island

Dear Fellow Rhode Islanders: Starting today, the agencies activated in the State's COVID-19 Joint Information Center will use Nextdoor’s free government interface to partner with you and your neighbors to build community, to keep you informed and work together to help keep our neighborhoods healthy. You may have already seen some announcements on Nextdoor from our colleagues at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency.

As a member of Nextdoor in Rhode Island you’ll automatically get our messages. If you no longer wish to receive our updates, you can manage your preferences here — http://bit.ly/NextdoorGovManage.

Please keep in mind that your Nextdoor neighborhood network remains private to only those of you who are verified residents of your Nextdoor neighborhood network. We are NOT able to see what you and your neighbors are discussing, we will see your thanks and replies to our posts.

We will not be monitoring Nextdoor 24/7 and will respond to replies only as capacity allows. You must NOT use Nextdoor to request emergency services. If you need emergency services, please call 911.

We look forward to interacting with you here on Nextdoor and learning from the experience!

Please see below for the latest news and information about COVID-19 in Rhode Island:

Governor Gina M. Raimondo and Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), made several coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) announcements today. You can view today's press briefing from Capitol TV On Demand (http://ritv.devosvideo.com/show?video=e72f892eae6b&apg=7e98c085).

- Cloth Face Covers: Dr. Alexander-Scott encouraged Rhode Islanders to consider wearing cloth face covers when in public. A cloth face cover is a material that covers the nose and mouth. It can be secured to the head with ties or straps, or wrapped around the lower face. A cloth face cover could be sewn by hand or improvised from household items such as scarves or T-shirts. (Face covers are different than N95 facemasks. People in the general public should not be purchasing or hording medical grade masks, such as N95s.) The primary role of a cloth face cover is to reduce the release of infectious particles into the air when someone speaks, coughs, or sneezes. Cloth face covers are not substitutes for physical distancing, washing your hands, and staying home when ill. (For instructions on how to wear a face covering and make one, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html. Surgeon General Jerome Adams shows Americans how to make a DIY face covering in this quick video: https://youtu.be/tPx1yqvJgf4).

- Childcare: The state will continue to suspend childcare licenses through the month of April.

- Mental Health: The Governor announced the establishment of a $5 million COVID-19 Behavioral Health Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation. The funding is made available by local insurance companies as a result of a state compliance review and will be dedicated to fund nonprofit organizations working to address Rhode Islanders' behavioral health needs resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. Nonprofits who think they can help with these services can apply for funding through the Rhode Island Foundation beginning April 6. Adults seeking mental or behavioral health support should call BH Link at 414-LINK. For services for children, call Kids Link 855-543-5465.

- Testing: All Rhode Islanders who have symptoms of COVID-19 are urged to call a healthcare provider to get scheduled for a test. The symptoms of COVID-19 include any of these symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches (myalgias), chills, runny nose or stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, or diarrhea. COVID-19 testing in Rhode Island had previously been limited to the members of certain priority populations who are more vulnerable to complications from COVID-19 or who are members of Rhode Island's critical infrastructure workforce.

- Surge locations: Rhode Island is setting up surge sites to provide hospital-level care at the Rhode Island Convention Center, the former Citizens Bank building on Sockanosset Cross Road in Cranston, and the former Lowe's building at Quonset. Once complete, these sites will be staffed and equipped with the medical resources needed to treat more than 1,000 people.

COVID-19 Data Update Dr. Alexander-Scott announced today that Rhode Island has 54 new cases of COVID-19. This brings Rhode Island's count to 711. Dr. Alexander-Scott also announced two additional COVID-19 associated fatalities. One of these individuals was a nursing home resident. That brings Rhode Island's number of fatalities to 14. A full data summary for Rhode Island is posted online: https://health.ri.gov/data/covid-19/

Additional Information:

Resources for those in quarantine and isolation

This week, the State launched RIDelivers, Rhode Island's connection to help for those living in quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19. This service will ensure that Rhode Islanders in quarantine will have what they need to safely remain home and monitor their symptoms. Connections to groceries, home supplies, restaurants, and mutual aid groups are featured at www.RIDelivers.com.

* We urge you to only use grocery delivery if you HAVE to. Please save it for older or higher risk folks. If you can, use mutual aid groups like Nextdoor to lend a hand in your community. For additional information, residents can call 2-1-1. *

Use the Nextdoor Help Map to Offer or Ask Neighbors For Help

To avoid overwhelming local delivery providers, the State is encouraging people to lean on family/friends/neighbors when they are able to, thus freeing up deliveries for those that really need it.

Here is the link to the Help Map where you can offer and ask for help --> https://nextdoor.com/help_map/

For more information about the Help Map, check out this link --> https://help.nextdoor.com/s/article/Use-the-Help-Map-to-find-and-offer-help?language=en_US

- Recreation: All gatherings are limited to five people. Please continue to maintain six feet of distance between you and others.

To protect public health and safety, the Governor announced the temporary closure of Rhode Island state parks and beaches beginning Friday, April 3. The Department of Environmental Management asks the public not to drive to parks and beaches. The entrances will be blocked, there is no public parking, and these facilities are closed to vehicular traffic. DEM is not prohibiting Rhode Islanders from walking or riding bikes at parks and beaches if they are not congregated in groups of five or more and are adhering to social/physical distancing rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19. DEM will be patrolling these sites and dispersing groups of people. Given the serious nature of COVID-19, DEM will continue to provide any needed updates regarding changes to this guidance.

In addition, the opening of state campgrounds delayed until at least May 1st.

- Travel: Anyone arriving in Rhode Island from any other state will need to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Rhode Island. This applies to people arriving by car, train, bus, and plane.

The National Guard and the Rhode Island State Police are stationed at TF Green, the Amtrak station, and on the roads to monitor travelers. For those arriving from out of state, they will be collecting contact information to share only with the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), for the purposes of supporting self-monitoring for symptoms and contact tracing. This information will not be shared.

- Schools and child care - The State has mandated that all child care providers remain closed through the month of April.

All public K-12 schools will continue distance learning through April. To ensure that all Rhode Island students have access to WiFi necessary for distance learning at home, the Governor announced that all households that have a smart phone with a WiFi hot spot feature and have cell phone service from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint will be able to activate the hot spot feature for free. There will be no activation fee, no usage fee, and no overage fee. This policy will last until at least May 13.

Businesses - All non-critical retail businesses have closed in-person operations. The Department of Business Regulation issued guidance on this Executive Order, to help people understand what qualifies as a critical business.

The Rhode Island Superior Court will start a business protection program in response to disruptions caused by COVID-19. Under the Business Recovery Plan, the court will supervise and provide protections for Rhode Island businesses so they can remain operational, access new working capital and pay debts. To determine eligibility for the Business Recovery Plan, businesses should review the materials by following the Business Recovery Plan link at www.courts.ri.gov or contact their attorney.

What you can do

Please remember that if you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches [myalgias], chills, runny nose or stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, or diarrhea), isolate at home and recover safely there. Please wait for three symptom-free days (without use of medications) before leaving isolation.

If you develop any of the above symptoms, you can now call your healthcare provider or an urgent care clinic to request testing.

Please call your doctor or an urgent care center before showing up at a facility (unless you are experiencing a medical emergency). This will give the facility time to prepare to meet your needs while protecting healthcare workers.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, and you are self-isolating, the people who live with you and the people who have been in direct close contact with you while you were sick should also quarantine themselves and monitor for symptoms. Direct close contact means being within approximately 6 feet of a person for a prolonged period.

Protect yourself:

Please keep in mind that most people who are mildly ill may be able to isolate and care for themselves at home.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with your sleeve or a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean (remove dirt, dust, soil, organic matter) and disinfect (using a chemical product to kill pathogens) frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

RIDOH has activated an information line for COVID-19. For general COVID-19 questions, please call 401-222-8022 or email RIDOH.COVID19Questions@health.ri.gov.

For COVID-19 information and employment questions, please call the Department of Labor and Training at 401-462-2020, or email dlt.covid19@dlt.ri.gov.

People experiencing a behavioral health crisis can call BH Link at 401-414-5465. Resources

For COVID-19 information and resources in American Sign Language, please visit the Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s COVID-19 page: http://www.cdhh.ri.gov/covid-19/

For information about cancer and COVID-19, please visit the American Cancer Society’s COVID-19 page.

If you are in need of support, the American Cancer Society offers a 24/7 Helpline through which trained Cancer Information Specialists provide accurate, up-to-date information and resources. Please contact the Helpline by phone at 1-800-227-2345.

For the most updated information about the State's response to COVID-19, please visit health.ri.gov/covid. For information about the disease from RIDOH and CDC, as well as quarantine and isolation information, visit health.ri.gov/diseases/ncov2019/.

Thank you for doing your part to keep yourself, your family, your neighbors, and your fellow Rhode Islanders healthy and safe.

Information contributed by the Public Information Joint Information Center, State of Rhode Island, found on NextDoor.

Report: Black People Are Contracting and Dying of Coronavirus at Higher Rates (The Root)