RI Sets Goal Of 10k Coronavirus Tests Per Day By July

PROVIDENCE, RI — With Rhode Island poised to begin the phased reopening process at the end of the week, testing efforts must be ramped up to help prevent future mass closures, Gov. Gina Raimondo said. By July, the governor said she hopes the test 10,000 Rhode Islanders per day, doubling that number by fall.

"When it comes to testing we are doing three-and-a-half times better than the rest of America," she continued. "I would like to see up get to 10,000 a day by July ... and then we're going to try to get to 20,000 a day. Why? We want kids to go back to school in September. We want colleges to get back in session. That is the goal."

The state currently tests around 3,000 people per day, with slight dips over the weekends. While more than tripling current test capacity in less than three months will be difficult, Raimondo said she believes it is possible, adding that just a month ago the state could only handle a few hundred tests per day.

Increasing test capacity will allow the state to take a more targeted approach to closures in the future by identifying outbreaks before they widely spread.

"My top goal is that once we start the process of reopening is that we never have to go back to what we just went through," Raimondo said. "We need to create an early warning testing system by testing groups that are asymptomatic ... so we know ahead of time where there may be danger."

The state plans to create outbreak response teams that, will ideally be on the ground at the sites of a potential outbreak within four hours, conducting widespread testing or everyone at the facility and their contacts. While the teams are intended for any facilities with the potential for close contact, such as college campuses, food processing facilities and other large workplaces, extra focus will be given to nursing homes and other congregate living facilities.

To help address outbreaks at nursing homes, which have continually seen the highest number of cases and fatalities, the Rhode Island Department of Health has begun cyclical testing of residents and employees. By Monday, the first round of testing will be complete, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of the department, said. As of Wednesday, testing had been completed at 60 of the state's 85 nursing homes. Because these tests only show a snapshot of case data, the department will continue the testing cycle to determine long-term data trends.

Although the number of cases of coronavirus and hospitalizations has not decreased, the data continues to help steady, Raimondo said. Because of this , she still expects to begin the reopening process Friday, when Rhode Island's current stay-at-home order expires.

The first phase of reopening will be very similar to the way things have been under the stay-at-home order, Raimondo said. Rhode Islanders will still need to follow strict social distancing guidelines and avoid large groups of people. Starting Friday, all residents will be required to wear a fabric face covering when in public areas, both indoor and outdoor.

Mother's Day is Sunday, a popular holiday for families to gather together to celebrate. This year, Rhode Islanders are asked to avoid this, especially when it comes to elderly or immuno-compromised parents. Raimondo asked residents to get creative to find a way to celebrate and honor mothers this years while still staying safe.

Patch Editor Scott Souza contributed to this report.

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