COVID-19 CRISIS

THE LATEST: Case count, deaths continue to rise

State’s surgical mask stockpile stands at 2M, governor says

Posted

For full audio of the governor's follow-up conference call with reporters, click here.

New cases of COVID-19 – and the death toll from the disease – increased significantly on Tuesday, according to data provided by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Shortly before Gov. Gina Raimondo’s daily briefing, the statewide update showed 16 new deaths related to the novel coronavirus, along with 394 new positive cases that have been identified – the highest single-day jump seen in Rhode Island since the start of the crisis.

During the briefing, Raimondo sought to provide some reassurance regarding the new numbers, saying that they remain “pretty steady” in the context of recent weeks.

“Clearly, we are flattening the curve. Clearly, the peak is not going to be nearly as bad as it could have been … We’re still not leveling off, but I hope that we’ll start to see that soon,” she said.

The 16 new deaths bring the state’s overall toll to 171 fatalities since the onset of the crisis. Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said six of the deaths occurred Monday, while the other 10 occurred in previous days.

The health director said there can be a “lag of a few days” in reporting of fatalities due to challenges in congregant care settings and other factors. She said the state has updated the historical data on its online portal, found at health.ri.gov, to reflect the dates on which late-reported deaths occurred.

Of the 16 new deaths, one was a person in their 30s. Two were in their 50s, four were in their 70s, three were in their 80s and six were in their 90s.

The 394 new positive cases bring the state’s total to 5,500 since March 1. Community-level figures show that Providence continues to have by far the most COVID-19 cases in the state, with 1,524 as of Tuesday. It is followed by Pawtucket (496), Cranston (331), North Providence (314), East Providence (251), Warwick (195), Central Falls (183), Woonsocket (161) and Cumberland (129).

As of Tuesday’s update, 271 Rhode Islanders were hospitalized as a result of the virus, with 67 in ICUs and 43 intubated and on ventilators. Another 293 people had been discharged from the state’s hospitals after treatment for COVID-19.

Overall, 39,333 Rhode Islanders had been tested for COVID-19 as of Tuesday, including 2,237 who were tested on Monday. Of that total, 33,833 have tested negative.

 PPE boost

Raimondo on Tuesday said in the past two weeks, the state has received more than 1.5 million surgical masks – a development she said will ensure that health care workers in various settings across Rhode Island “can now change your surgical masks on a daily basis.”

“I realize that’s slight consolation, but it’s an improvement … it’s going to continue to get better,” the governor said.

Raimondo said the state now has approximately 2 million surgical masks available. She said 90 percent of the newly arrived stock was purchased through the private market.

“These masks, we have had to scour the world for and purchase on the private market,” she said.

Raimondo said a “new normal” will be required as part of the phased reopening of the economy – and that steps such as temperature checks when arriving at work and continuing to wear masks in public settings will be a part of that. At one point, she said she anticipates some form of social distancing being in place for at least a year as work continues toward a vaccine and more effective treatment for the disease.

She said the state’s goal is to ensure a 30-day supply of personal protective equipment, or PPE, for all Rhode Islanders is available at all times as part of the move toward reopening.

“We’re not quite there, but we’re moving in that direction,” she said.

Field hospitals operational

Raimondo said the field hospital sites at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence and the former Citizens Bank facility on Sockanosset Cross Road in Cranston are now operational – a development she called “nothing short of extraordinary.”

Raimondo offered praise for the Rhode Island National Guard, Lifespan, Care New England, the Convention Center and Carpionato Group, the owner of the Cranston site. Another field hospital is being prepared at the former Lowe’s at Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, and the governor said the facilities combined will have approximately 1,000 beds.

While the state’s case count and death toll are both running below modeling projections – including those released by the governor last week – Raimondo said just weeks ago there had been fears that more than 6,000 hospital beds would be needed in Rhode Island by the month’s end.

“I sleep easier at night now knowing that if there is a surge … [the field hospitals] are there, they are ready, they are staffed and they are top-notch,” she said. 

New housing for front line workers

Raimondo on Tuesday announced that Brown University has agreed to provide more than 700 dormitory rooms for use as free, alternative housing by first responders, health care workers, public safety personnel and others who may be leery of exposing family members and loved ones to the virus because of their work.

“These are for folks who can’t stay home right now, they have to go to work,” she said.

The state previously launched a website, RIHavens.com, to connect front line workers with hotel rooms for as little as $25 per night.

During a follow-up conference call with reporters, Brett Smiley, Raimondo’s director of administration, said additional housing at the state’s public colleges and universities may be utilized for a similar purpose at some point going forward.

The governor also said work continues to find housing solutions for the state’s homeless and housing insecure population during the crisis.

A number of rooms at the Wyndham hotel in Warwick have been secured to provide quarantine and isolation space for members of those groups who test positive for COVID-19 or have been potential exposed, although those rooms require a referral from the Department of Health.

UI certification streamlined

Raimondo on Tuesday said the state has partnered with Amazon Web Services to streamline the weekly certification process for those receiving unemployment benefits. On Sunday, she said, more than 70,000 people were instantly certified without a busy signal when calling in to the Department of Labor and Training.

The governor called the development a “big breakthrough,” given the scope of the state’s joblessness situation. In the past six weeks, she said, 170,000 unemployment claims have been filed in Rhode Island – something that has “never happened before in our state’s history.”

In response to a question during the follow-up conference call, Jennifer Bogdan, the governor’s communications director, said an email went out over the weekend to all people who have applied for unemployment benefits – not only those whose claims have been processed – regarding the new certification system. That might have “created some confusion” for those whose claims are still in process, she said.

Other notes:

* Questions were raised regarding the possibility of “false negative” test results being produced at the rapid testing site run by CVS Health at Twin River Casino in Lincoln. Alexander-Scott reiterated prior guidance that the testing works best when administered to people who are symptomatic, but said quality control checks conducted for the site have found its testing to be accurate.

* Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced school buildings in his state will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Raimondo said she has yet to make a final decision in terms of how the rest of the school year will proceed in Rhode Island, describing it as a “tough call.” She said she anticipates having an announcement later this week.

* The governor spoke of a resident who donated the entirety of their $1,200 federal stimulus money to the state’s COVID-19 Response Fund. “That’s exactly the spirit that’s going to get us through this,” she said.

Comments

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  • thepilgrim

    Covid 19 is man made for the purpose of furthering the Orwellian Police State. Clearly now the US Constitution is gone. FEMA Camps are in your future. Before that your 2nd Amendment rights will be taken away “for your protection.” To deny citizens the right to assembled goes against every principle this country was founded upon. Arm yourselves before it’s too late.

    Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Report this

  • wwkvoter

    That is obscenely disrespectful to the dead and their loved ones. It is also repetitive. And crazy. What could possibly be the point...

    Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Report this

  • perky4175

    how do we no exact figures when the testing at twin river and now they say testing at ccri is not being done right the guard that are doing the swbs are not going far enough into the nose this comes from a dr at kent

    Thursday, April 23, 2020 Report this

  • thepilgrim

    The Covid 19 police state will continue until all citizens are vaccinated. The “vaccine” will include a microchip that will enable Big Brother to track your every move. Google this and learn more.

    Thursday, April 23, 2020 Report this

  • Wuggly

    Robert I think your foil hat is on a little snug. I just said a little snug.

    wwkvoter For power. One of the oldest reasons for politicians and humans in general to sacrifice their own kind.

    It's hard to believe that the UN, WHO, several nations CDC people, some multinational banks corporations and other globalists got together late last year to discuss this exact scenario. YouTube Event 201. Coincidence?

    With the State's stockpile of 2 million masks and population at just over 1 million, why hasn't everyone been given a mask? Now that its mandatory.

    With the figures given in the chart we're at 0.03 percent of those infected dying and of the total population 0.0052 percent testing positive are we trying to keep people from dying or keep them from getting sick? Those are two different questions. We are destroying far more lives keeping people out of work.

    Friday, April 24, 2020 Report this

  • thepilgrim

    Wiggly, wake up and read this:

    https://www.biometricupdate.com/201909/id2020-and-partners-launch-program-to-provide-digital-id-with-vaccines?fbclid=IwAR2Mq_5emN2hhIt2_gUUlmvQhPmIP4lNO-Fv95LT-0SRUt5RDatMWhtRqGU

    Saturday, April 25, 2020 Report this

  • Wuggly

    @Robert

    I did mention in my second paragraph it is hard to believe this is a coincidence. I appreciate the article on the ID2020 Alliance. I found it enlightening. I do think this is a globalist's dream as well as a Biblical prophecy, the Number of the Beast and all that.

    Remain the Sheepdog.

    Sunday, April 26, 2020 Report this