THE LATEST: Plans for phased reopening on the way, governor says

Rhode Island’s COVID-19 caseload and death toll continue to rise, but without the “steepness of the curve that we had been seeing a week or two ago,” Gov. Gina Raimondo said during her Saturday briefing – and she announced plans to begin outlining steps to reopen the state’s economy in the days ahead.

“Our goal is to reopen as soon as possible, as is safe, with new restrictions, industry by industry, in phases. And we’re going to have a lot more to say about that every day next week … previewing for you where I expect to be guiding us in the weeks and months to come,” the governor said.

She added: “A very high percentage of Rhode Island’s economy is in small business. Unfortunately, that’s has been who’s been hit the hardest in this, is the smallest businesses, so we also have to be very thoughtful. It’s not just about reopening our biggest companies and our biggest manufacturers … It’s about being very attentive to the needs of our small businesses as well.”

Raimondo said Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor has been leading the planning for the reopening process. She said that work has been “very inclusive” and that a wide range of stakeholders, from chambers of commerce to labor unions, are involved.

During a follow-up conference call with reporters, the governor elaborated further regarding the considerations at play in the easing of social distancing orders. (Find full audio of the call here.)

She again said she believes the state will outperform the best-case scenario outlined in modeling projections unveiled earlier this week, which involves the need for more than 2,200 hospital beds by May 3 and foresees up to 2,000 local deaths by the end of October. But she said continued compliance with social distancing guidelines – and the need to prepare for a second wave of infections, as was seen in places like Hong Kong and Singapore – will be essential.

“We can’t do anything, or I can’t do anything, that I think will land us back in the soup of a great surge of infections … The plan is we’ll open gradually, with enough testing and treatment and such that we don’t see it. God forbid if we do see it, we’re ready,” she said.

She added: “It’s my expectation that we’re going to do a whole lot better than [the best-case modeling projection]. The whole game depends on if people continue to abide by the stay-at-home order. If they do in the same way that we are now … no, I don’t see a world in which we have that kind of increase.”

During the conference call, Raimondo also said her “plan is not to have to renew the stay-at-home order” after its current extension expires on May 8 – the same date through which a host of other social distancing measures remain in place.

During the regular briefing, Raimondo said COVID-19 testing capacity – which currently sites at approximately 2,000 per day for Rhode Island – will need to be expanded by “multiples of what we’re doing today” as part of the reopening plan.

She additionally addressed recently issued federal guidelines for state-level reopening, which she said are “not very detailed” but will play a role in the state’s plans. Those guidelines point to 14 consecutive days of declines in terms of new cases of the virus as a key prerequisite.

“Each governor is going to necessarily have to go into a lot more detail … Overall, I think the guidance was helpful and we’ll look to comply with it,” Raimondo said.

 19 new deaths in RI

 According to Saturday’s data update, 19 more Rhode Islanders have died as a result of the virus – the largest single-day increase yet seen. The state’s COVID-19 death toll since the start of the crisis now stands at 137.

Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said 10 of the 19 new deaths involved people living in nursing homes. Seventeen occurred within the previous 24-plus hours, she said, while two occurred the day prior.

One of the people was in their 30s, while two were in their 50s, three were in their 60s, four were in their 70s, seven were in their 80s and two were in their 90s.

Additionally, another 317 positive cases of COVID-19 have been identified statewide, bringing Rhode Island’s total caseload to 4,491 since March 1.

Hospitalizations rose slightly according to Saturday’s update, with 255 Rhode Islanders hospitalized. Of those people, 67 were in ICUs and 43 were intubated and on ventilators. According to the state’s figures, 217 people have been discharged from Rhode Island’s hospitals after treatment for COVID-19.

In terms of city and town numbers, Providence continues to have by far the most COVID-19 cases of any community with 1,220. It is followed by Pawtucket (415), Cranston (271), North Providence (253), East Providence (224), Warwick (161), Central Falls (134), Woonsocket (124), Cumberland (117) and Johnston (74).

Elsewhere during Saturday’s briefing:

* Raimondo’s executive order from earlier this week requiring workers at most businesses – and particularly those deemed “customer-facing” – wear cloth-based nose and mouth coverings while on the job took effect Saturday. The governor said employees from the Department of Business Administration will be conducting stop checks and have been authorized to issue fines or take other enforcement steps if needed.

* The governor said DBR and the Department of Environmental Management are jointly developing new guidelines that will allow small garden centers to reopen, with restrictions, by April 27. She said starting Sunday, April 19, garden centers in large, big-box retailers will be restricted to pickup, delivery and appointment service until the new rules are in place.

“We unfortunately continue to hear way too many instances of crowded garden centers … I hope by April 27 you can all be opening for business under a new set of regulations,” she said.

 * Raimondo and Alexander-Scott addressed the issue of racial and ethnic disparities related to the virus – a concern that grew this week when officials said preliminary data suggest 45 percent of Rhode Island’s COVID-19 cases thus far are among members of the Latino community.

Alexander-Scott said officials continue to ramp up outreach effort to Spanish-speaking segments of the community and work with a range of local leaders and organizations to identify key areas of concern. She and the governor also said work continues to provide easily assessable or mobile testing options.

“Essentially, we want to bring the testing to where people are … We’ll have more to say about this in the coming days as we continue to unpack it,” the governor said.

* Raimondo highlighted the Rhode Island Artist Relief Fund, which provides grants of up to $1,000 to assist members of the state’s arts community during the crisis. She said the fund – a collaborative effort among the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, the Rhode Island Foundation and the city of Providence – has provided approximately $226,000 in assistance to roughly 250 artists thus far.

Donations to the fund can be made by visiting artistcommunities.org and searching for Rhode Island Artist Relief Fund. Application information can be found on the RISCA website, risca.online.

* The governor said $625 million of the $1.25 billion in federal assistance earmarked for Rhode Island through the CARES Act has arrived in the state’s coffers, which she called a “welcome relief.” The remainder of the funding is expected to arrive in the coming weeks, she said.

Raimondo also addressed the state’s budget situation, thanking members of the state workforce for being “flexible and understanding” in terms of fulfilling duties outside their normal responsibilities during the crisis. She added, though, that cost-cutting steps such as furloughs have not been completely ruled out.

“Furloughs aren’t off the table … It is my strong goal and direction and guidance to avoid furloughs, but at this point, I can’t rule anything out. Nothing’s off the table,” she said.

* In light of the snow that arrived across much of the state overnight from Friday into Saturday, the governor said: “I want you to know, on your behalf, I called Mother Nature and told her to knock it off.”