Coronavirus In RI: Schools Closed Through April

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island students will continue at-home learning until at least the end of April over coronavirus concerns, Gov. Gina Raimondo said Monday. The governor also announced the state's fourth death from the coronavirus and 114 additional cases, bringing the state's total to 408.

"I am not going to sugarcoat this," Raimondo said. "There is nothing easy about this. As I said at the beginning of this, some learning is better than no learning."

Students were reminded that classes are still in session, even if the classrooms themselves are empty.

"This is not a vacation," Raimondo said. "Yes, there is school tomorrow, even though school buildings are closed."

So far, nearly all school districts have reported that the first week of at-home learning went well, Raimondo said. Attendance has been high, with some districts reporting higher rates for at-home learning than for in-school classes.

Although things are generally going well, there are still several barriers to learning that the state is working to overcome, especially for low-income families. To make sure everyone is able to access the internet, all Rhode Islanders with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon service will be able to use the mobile hotspot function on their smartphones for free until May 18. While it is available to everyone, Raimondo asked that only those who really need it use it to avoid crashing the system.

The Department of Education is also working with Cox Communications to provide internet access to homes where people need it. Low-income households can get two free months of internet access, followed by $10 per month.

"When we say equity, we mean equity," Raimondo said. "We mean everybody. We are going to work to make sure all students are brought along."

When it comes to the extension of school cancellations, Raimondo said she is taking it 30 days at a time.

"If April goes as well as it has the last week, then I very well may say that we're going to go ahead and do it through the entire month of May," she said.

The pandemic is a scary, confusing time for everyone, especially children, as it can be difficult to answer questions and address concerns. With that in mind, the governor and Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of health at the Rhode Island Department of Health, will hold a news conference just for children Thursday. Questions, advice and concerns can be submitted online or through voicemail, and more information will be sent to teachers across the state to allow students to have their voices heard.

To encourage learning during school closures, Raimondo and the Rhode Island Department of Education are launching a reading challenge during the month of April. All Rhode Islanders, especially K-12 students, are encouraged to read something every day in April. The department is working to establish ways for people to get books while libraries are closed, such as drive-thru book pickups, donations and online e-book resources.

"I'm asking everyone to join in," Raimondo said. "It's good for the mind and good for the soul, and I hope we can have some fun."

Monday's sudden spike in cases is likely not going to be the last, Raimondo said, as more cases are expected in the coming days. The only way to help keep that number down, she said, is for everyone to strictly follow the rules of social distancing. With limits on gatherings now limited to just five people, Rhode Islanders are asked to come up with a list of just four or five people whom they will come in contact with this week, and try not to exceed it.

"You've seen the numbers," Alexander-Scott said. "We cannot have just 50 percent following the stay-at-home order. We need 100 percent to do it."

The latest death was a patient in his 70s who was not a nursing home resident, Alexander-Scott said. The department is working to determine if he had any underlying conditions.

Of the total cases, there are currently 41 people in the hospital with COVID-19, Alexander-Scott said.

Nursing homes remain a serious area of concern, Alexander-Scott said, as they house some of the state's most vulnerable populations. There have been approximately 15 cases of COVID-19 at three nursing homes across the state. To prevent the spread of the virus, nursing homes are urged to disinfect surfaces frequently, ideally every six hours, and are working to make sure the transition from a hospital to a nursing home for patients with the virus is a safe one.

As she has said before, Raimondo reiterated that the state's economy cannot reasonably reopen until the state reaches the 1,000 tests per day threshold.

"We're halfway there. I am hoping to get to that point sometime this week," she said.

To help reach that goal, mobile, drive-up testing sites have been set up at the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island's Warwick campus. Rhode Islanders are asked not to show up to these sites unless specifically instructed to do so by their healthcare provider.

"Do not show up without an appointment to one of these testing centers," Raimondo said. "You will not receive a test. You will waste your time and you will slow up the whole system."

Any Rhode Islander who feels sick, even if it's just a cold or mild symptoms, is asked to stay home and call their primary care provider. Those without one can call a nearby urgent care for guidance. Anyone with symptoms must stay home, Alexander-Scott said.

Rhode Island's General Assembly again canceled all sessions and committee meetings this week, in compliance with the limit on gatherings. In-person sessions are absolutely off the table at this time, Raimondo said, since going against the five-person limit would endanger the legislators and their families.

"At this point I don't see any need for them to convene," she said, adding that both House and Senate leadership have been helpful and communicative and have agreed to convene if necessary. "We'll do what's needed when the time comes."

Last week, a spokesperson for House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello said remote sessions are a "last resort," since they make it very difficult for the public to effectively comment.

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