Beginning Of RI's Coronavirus Pause Looks Promising: Raimondo

PROVIDENCE, RI — Four days into Rhode Island's two-week pause, most Rhode Islanders seem to be following the directive to stay at home, Gov. Gina Raimondo said Thursday. Early data shows reduced mobility on highways, she said, and the majority of businesses are complying with required closures or increased regulations.

Over the past week, the state's report line did not receive any credible tips about large gatherings, Raimondo said. In addition, inspectors reported high compliance in businesses. More than half of the businesses that were inspected received perfect scores, while an additional 32 percent had near-perfect scores. More data breakdowns are listed below.

• 99 percent of bars and restaurants had all customers seated, closed at the appropriate time and closed bar areas
• 96 percent of businesses had appropriate social distancing
• Nearly 100 percent of employees wore masks properly

To determine mobility, state leaders compared traffic numbers from the state's highway to the same time last year. Since last Wednesday, there has been a "slow, steady decline" in cars, Raimondo said. Although a decrease is usually seen during the Thanksgiving week, there was a 10 percent drop this year, double that of 2019.

While the pause data is looking promising, the same can't be said for the state's coronavirus numbers, which show a worsening situation statewide.

"The data is very concerning, there is no other way for me to say it," Raimondo said. "We are far past the peak we had in the spring and this wave certainly seems to be more dangerous than what we experienced in the spring ... This is scary data, but don’t panic, take action."

The main point of the pause is to slow the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the state, reducing the strain on the health care system and keeping hospitals from becoming overwhelmed before the end of the year. Both of the state's field hospitals are open and accepting patients, Raimondo said, and the state is grappling with a major shortage in staffing.

At this time, Raimondo said it's too early to know if just two weeks will be enough to get Rhode Island back on track. While she said she "would like to, and have intention to" begin slowly reopening the economy after the pause is scheduled to end, Dec. 13, she said she will have to make that determination closer to the date.

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