Rhode Island's Hospitals Reach Coronavirus Capacity

PROVIDENCE, RI — Hospitalizations continue to climb in Rhode Island, and the state's hospitals have officially reached their coronavirus capacity, Gov. Gina Raimondo said Wednesday. The state's two field hospitals in Cranston and Providence could start accepting patients as soon as next week, she said.

"They're getting ready to open the field hospitals," Raimondo said during her weekly news conference.

Since hospitals are at capacity, "Tier One" plans have been activated, meaning staff has been reassigned and wait times are longer. If conditions do not improve and hospitals are overwhelmed, there will not be enough staff to care for patients, the governor said. If that becomes the case, some patients would be turned away as well, such as those in need of non-emergency surgery or cancer treatments.

Related: 'For 2 Weeks, Lock It Down': RI's Pause Starts Nov. 30

"We will lose more Rhode Islanders to other disease," Raimondo said.

Over the past five weeks, hospitalizations have nearly tripled in Rhode Island.

"The hospital increase is unsustainable," Raimondo said. "We must take this pause seriously. If we don't ... our hospitals will be overwhelmed in a matter of weeks, and we'll have to turn people away."

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