RI's Coronavirus Hospitalizations Near Safe Threshold

PROVIDENCE, RI — The latest weekly coronavirus data trends continue to paint a promising picture for Rhode Island, with a second key indicator poised to fall within its safe threshold in the coming weeks, if the trend continues.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, there were 231 new hospital admissions last week, down from 305 the week before. That's just 21 patients higher than the threshold of safety of 210 or fewer, the lowest numbers the state has seen in months. Throughout the pandemic, department Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott has urged the importance of protecting the state's health care system, keeping hospitals from becoming overrun with COVID-19 patients.

The other two key indicators — weekly percent positivity and new cases per 100,000 people — also declined over the last week. As of Tuesday, the weekly percent positivity rate was 2.7 percent, the third week in a row it was below 5 percent. Although case numbers are still more than triple the safe threshold of 100, they also decreased over the past week by nearly 100, falling from 399 to 302.

Because Rhode Island's coronavirus data has been steadily improving for about a month, several of the state's business regulations were loosened last week. This included raising the limit of attendees for weddings and other catered events, allowing up to two households to eat together in restaurants, lowering distancing requirements in gyms and other indoor facilities and more. At the time, Alexander-Scott cautioned Rhode Islanders that tighter restrictions will likely be required when more dangerous virus variants arrive in the state.

"We understand how hard this year has been for the business community,"she said at the time. "If the data indicate that it's ok to ease some restrictions ... it's something we believe in."

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