Coronavirus RI: 4 More Deaths; Parks, Beaches To Close

PROVIDENCE, RI — Eighty-six new cases of the coronavirus were announced in Rhode Island Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 488. There have been four additional deaths and 59 people are currently hospitalized. To enforce social distancing, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced she will be closing all of the state's parks and beaches, effective Friday.

The closure announcement came after reports of large crowds at Goddard Park and other public areas.

"That has to end," Raimondo said. "It should have already ended."

Starting Friday, parking lots will be closed until further notice to prevent Rhode Islanders from gathering at public spaces. In addition, the opening of state campgrounds will be delayed until at least May 1.

The spike in cases, deaths and hospitalizations is a sign of what is to come, Raimondo said. She added the state does not have enough hospital beds.

"We need to buy a little time to ready the system — more beds, more respirators, more doctors," she said. "The only way to buy more time is to stay home."

Wednesday marks the beginning of the new month, bringing fears about bills for thousands of Rhode Islanders who are out of work due to COVID-19. Those who cannot afford to pay their rent or utility bills should not worry, Raimondo said, since shutoffs and evictions cannot happen until at least mid-April.

"If you are a landlord, listen to me: You are not evicting anyone until April 17," Raimondo said. "At that time, we will come back with more information because we do not want anyone evicted after April 17 either."

Utility, shutoffs, meanwhile, have been banned until at least April 15. Those who can pay their bills, whether they are utilities, rent or taxes, are encouraged to do so.

Over the weekend, the governor asked all Rhode Islanders to write a list of four to five people that they would come into close contact with other the next week. On Tuesday, she asked all residents to go one step further and every day write down every place they had gone to and every person they had come into close contact with. This will help with contact tracing should the person later develop symptoms.

"I'm going to do this, and I'm asking you all to do it to," Raimondo said. "Hopefully, that will be an easy assignment, and the answer is 'I've been at home and I've only been with my family.'"

As the recent spike in cases and hospitalizations shows, Rhode Island is on the rapid spread phase of coronavirus transmission, Raimondo said. To help mitigate this, it's absolutely critical for everyone to strictly follow guidelines and stay home as much as possible.

"We clearly have community spread and we're in a rapid-spread phase of the virus," Raimondo said. "You're supposed to be buckling down like you never have before."

Starting Wednesday, the drive-up testing sites at the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island will be fully operational. Once again, the governor reminded Rhode Islander that these testing sites are only open to people who have a referral from their healthcare provider.

"Expect lines. We will do the very best we can to get you in and out as quickly as we can," Raimondo said. "Do not show up without an appointment ... You cannot just drive up and get a test."

The addition of the new testing sites will help the state reach the 1,000-test-per-day threshold that is necessary to begin reopening the state's economy. While the state has not yet hit this mark, Raimondo said she hopes to get there within the next few days.

"We have a goal at the end of the week is to be doing a thousands tests a day. We are well on the way to achieving that," Raimondo said. "We are not there yet. We are doing 500 or 600 tests a day."

So far, three of the state's four deaths have been residents at nursing homes, Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott, director of health at the Rhode Island Department of Health, said. Two were at Golden Crest Nursing Centre in North Providence, while the third was at Oak Hill Center in Pawtucket. Both of these facilities have groups of cases, and there is one additional, isolated case in another unnamed nursing home.

The 59 hospitalized patients vary in age, Alexander-Scott said, illustrating that the virus does not only affect the elderly. Fourteen people are in intensive cares units, while nine are intubated.

"It's an important message to let people know that this virus is impacting people across the spectrum," Alexander-Scott said. "Those with underlying issues can be impacted from 30 up ... and we are seeing occasions where young people are being hospitalized."

In an effort to help slow the spread of the virus within healthcare facilities, especially nursing homes, new preventive measures are being taken, Alexander-Scott said. Starting immediately, all healthcare workers in all facilities — hospitals, nursing homes and more — will be required to wear surgical masks. While this type of mask does not protect a person from being exposed to COVID-19, it helps keep the wearer from spreading the virus to another person. Because not everyone shows symptoms right away, this step will help protect other healthcare workers and the vulnerable populations they serve, Alexander-Scott said.

All healthcare facilities, in particular nursing homes, are asked to disinfect high-touch surfaces such as doorknobs and counters every four hours. New data shows that infected droplets can transmit the disease from surfaces, and can remain on surfaces for a period of time. Frequent disinfection helps to mitigate that risk, Alexander-Scott said.

In addition, the state is taking several steps to help prepare the healthcare system for a sudden surge in patients. Nursing students who have taken at least one semester of classes will now be eligible to receive an emergency 90-day certified nursing assistant license, Alexander-Scott said. Any healthcare provider who is not currently working full-time is asked to volunteer their services through the RI Responds website.

"I called for volunteers last week and within a few days 400 people signed up," Raimondo said. "I want to see another 400 in another few days."

The two most common questions posed to the governor have been: how long will this go on? and how can I help?, Raimondo said. Rather than thinking of the closures and cancellations as a never-ending stretch, try to take it one day at a time, she said.

"Try to get through today, reach out to us if you need help, do everything you can to do something kind for a friend or a neighbor," she said. "This will end and every day we're going to get a little better at responding."

Meanwhile, the best thing most people can do is to stay home as much as possible, and to help those who are unable to leave their homes due to health concerns, self-quarantine or age. When grocery shopping, avoid groups, Alexander-Scott said, sending just one person per household to shop. The state is working to expand food delivery services so that everyone who is in quarantine can get the supplies they need and fewer people will need to leave their homes.

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