City Of Newport Urges Community Preparedness For Coronavirus

NEWPORT, RI — Amid ongoing concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus in Rhode Island, City of Newport officials are encouraging residents to plan ahead. This week, the city launched a webpage dedicated to providing the latest updates from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

City officials are encouraging residents to sign up for the emergency alert system, and to visit the new website for the latest updates.

"At this point, it's important to stress that currently there is no identified risk to the community and we are continuing to work closely with regional, state and federal agencies to ensure that we're prepared should the disease appear," city officials wrote in a statement. "In the meantime, we believe that staying informed is by far the most important thing we can do as a community to stay healthy!"

Along with CDC updates, the website also offers a "community toolkit," with resources such as flyers, graphics and videos, which can be downloaded for free to shared within the community.

So far, there have been two "presumptive positive" cases in Rhode Island, both announced on Sunday. The first, a man in his 40s, is still hospitalized, the Rhode Island Department of Health said, while the second, a teenage girl, has mild symptoms and is recovering at home. Both of them, along with a third woman who tested negative for the virus, were part of a group of 38 people who traveled to Europe in mid-February with a school trip through St. Raphael's Catholic School in Pawtucket. The school was closed for the entire week for cleaning.

To avoid the spread of the virus, which, like the flu, is passed through respiratory droplets, the department is encouraging residents to take the same measures as are generally recommended during cold and flu season. These include:

• Wash hands frequently with warm water and soap, or use alcohol-based hand sanitzer if handwashing is not possible.
• Get a flu shot, and encourage those around you to do the same.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow rather than a hand or the air.
• Stay home from school or work if sick.
• Keep surfaces, especially bedside tables, bathrooms and children's toys clean by wiping them down with disinfectant.
• Get plenty of sleep, by physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious foods to maintain good health.

The CDC does not recommend that otherwise healthy people wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory viruses, including the new coronavirus. Only wear a mask if a healthcare provider instructs you to do so, the Department of Health said. Those with symptoms are asked to wear a mask to help prevent spreading the disease to others.

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• RI Coronavirus: 2nd 'Presumptive' Positive, 3rd Person Tested
• Pawtucket School Says RI Coronavirus Patient Is Community Member
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