RI Marks Coronavirus Pandemic Anniversary: A Look Back

PROVIDENCE, RI — Monday marks a striking anniversary in Rhode Island: the one-year mark since the first coronavirus case was identified in the state. In the months since, the state has dealt with a series of devastating blows, from the extended closure of schools and businesses to soaring unemployment numbers and a holiday season that came alarmingly close to overwhelming the state's health care system.

Across Rhode Island, leaders and residents are taking a look back at the past year, mourning those we lost, celebrating our resilience and looking forward to the future with hope.

Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, was vaulted into the public spotlight when COVID-19 arrived in the state. Over the past year, the doctor has been at the forefront of Rhode Island's fight against the virus, providing daily, then later weekly updates about data, safety guidelines and more, even continuing to lead the department remotely when she tested positive for coronavirus in December. During last week's news conference, Alexander-Scott reflected back on the past year, thanking the people of Rhode Island for their patience and sense of community.

"Between [last March] and now, we have had quite the journey," Alexander-Scott said. "Every single person in our state has been affected by this pandemic ... This has been a year of loss, and a time of testing our strength ... [Rhode Island is] the picture of resilience."

Gov. Gina Raimondo also reflected back over the past year Monday, calling it "a long, difficult year, filled with tragedy, heartbreak, and loss."

"But in our darkest days, we came together and we lifted one another up," Raimondo continued. "We did what Rhode Islanders always do: we found hope."

Lt. Gov. Dan McKee, who is poised to take the state's top job once Raimondo is confirmed as the U.S. Commerce Secretary, expressed hope for the state's future as vaccine distribution ramps up. '

"I want to thank everyone who did their part to keep Rhode Islanders safe and get us through the darkest days of this pandemic," McKee said in a statement. "With vaccines finally reaching our communities, we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If we continue to work together and support one another, we will beat COVID-19 and come out of this crisis stronger than we went in."

Here's a look back at the past year, month-by-month, through a selection of Patch stories covering the pandemic.

March 2020: First case identified

The first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in the state was announced March 1. The first few cases were all connected to a St. Raphael's School trip to Europe.

The entire state was under a stay-at-home order within just a few weeks, and all schools were closed to in-person learning March 16. Social gatherings were strictly limited, and restaurants across the state were closed to eat-in dining.

By the end of the month, store shelves in Rhode Island were bare as residents raced to find cleaning supplies and stock up on paper products and food.

Just before St. Patrick's Day, the annual parade in Newport was canceled; one of the first major events to be shut down because of the pandemic.

April 2020: Statewide shutdowns

In April, Raimondo announced that schools would remain closed through the end of the academic year. On April 1, the Department of Health opened its first three drive-through coronavirus test sites, staffed by the National Guard.

With Rhode Islanders stuck at home, Easter celebrations were curtailed. Raimondo pleaded with churches and residents to stay home and avoid all celebrations, including proposed drive-through Palm Sunday pickups, since health officials were not sure at the time if the virus could be transmitted on surfaces.

May 2020: The road to reopening

By May, the state was starting on the road to recovery. Raimondo lifted the stay-at-home order May 9, and certain businesses were allowed to incrementally open as the state entered phase one of the reopening plan.

Starting May 18, restaurants were allowed to reopen their doors to in-person dining — outside only.

During this time, the state continued to expand the state's testing capabilities, setting a goal of 10,000 tests per day by July.

June 2020: Moving forward

The reopening plan continued on an almost-monthly basis, with phase two regulations going into effect June 1.

The state's presidential primary, which was rescheduled to June 2 from April 28, was held primarily by mail to protect poll workers and reduce crowds at polling places.

July 2020: No fireworks for the Fourth

The arrival of July saw the wholesale cancellation of Independence Day celebrations and firework displays in the state. The annual Bristol July 4 parade, the oldest celebration of its kind in the country, went on as scheduled, albeit extremely limited and vehicle-based.

August 2020: Take it outside

August saw the launch of Raimondo's "Take It Outside" campaign, which encouraged businesses, offices, restaurants and any gatherings possible to move programs outside.

"We know this virus spreads much easier indoors than outdoors," Raimondo said at the time.

Also in August, Massachusetts added Rhode Island to its travel advisory list, meaning residents could no longer move freely throughout the two states. When going to the Bay State, Rhode Islanders had to provide a proof of a negative COVID-19 test or self-quarantine for 14 days.

Dr. Anthony Fauci met with Raimondo over video chat, answering questions from Rhode Islanders and providing insight on school reopening, the importance of wearing masks and more.

September 2020: Back to school, at last

Rhode Island marked a major milestone in September, allowing students to return to classrooms for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Raimondo encouraged districts to take a staggered approach to returning to school, slowly bringing students back using a hybrid in-person/virtual learning model.

September also saw the launch of the Department of Health's coronavirus trends dashboard, which shows weekly data trends for three key indicators — cases per 100,000 people, the weekly percent positivity rate and the number of new hospitalizations — as well as information about testing, daily case numbers and more.

October 2020: Halloween in quarantine

Phase three of reopening was extended in October in an effort to crack down on maskless social gatherings, which were identified as a major source of virus transmission in the state.

With Halloween approaching and the weather getting too cold for moving programs outside, Raimondo urged Rhode Islanders not to have parties or go trick-or-treating in large groups.

"I'm asking you to forgo Halloween parties for one year, to save lives," the governor said at the time.

November 2020: Case numbers climb

After months of lower case numbers, Rhode Island's second coronavirus surge started in November. Following Halloween, the state started to see an increase in new cases and hospitalizations, prompting even more concern about Thanksgiving gatherings.

With case numbers climbing precipitously, Raimondo took strong action Nov. 19, announcing that the state would enter a two-week "pause" aimed at keeping hospitals from exceeding capacity. During that time, the social gathering limit was lowered to single households only, and large swaths of the economy were shuttered.

By the end of the month, existing hospitals reached their coronavirus capacity, with new admissions tripling in just five weeks. The state prepared to open its two overflow field hospitals at Sockonosset Cross Road in Cranston and the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.

December 2020: Holidays amid the pandemic

The pause, which was extended an extra week, ended Dec. 21. Things started to improve in the state, with hospitalization numbers declining.

State health officials were concerned about the quickly approaching holiday season, and urged Rhode Islanders to avoid all travel and only celebrate with members of their immediate household. Pop-up testing sites were set up in popular places such as shopping malls in an effort to identify cases quickly.

The two field hospitals accepted their first patients in early December, adding about 900 more beds to hospital availability.

In a spark of hope, Rhode Island received its first coronavirus vaccines in December, keeping the distribution targeted to frontline health care workers and nursing home residents.

January 2021: Changing leadership

Rhode Island started 2021 in a precarious position, reporting 32 deaths just four days into the new year.

January marked a major shift in Rhode Island leadership. Gov. Gina Raimondo, who steered the ship throughout the pandemic alongside Dr. Alexander-Scott, was formally selected as then-president-elect Joe Biden's pick for commerce secretary. The announcement kicked off Lt. Gov. Dan McKee's transition to the role of governor, which he assured Rhode Islanders would be seamless when it came to the pandemic response.

February 2021: Vaccine rollout picks up

February kindled hope for many Rhode Islanders, as case numbers and hospitalizations declined across the state. A key factor behind this was

Halfway through the month, vaccine appointments opened at the state's two state-run mass vaccination sites, starting with residents aged 75 and older. A few days later, eligibility was expanded to those 65 and older.

Even as data trends improved across the state, health officials urged caution. Three cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom were confirmed in the state, leading officials to urge the public to continue social distancing and upgrading to high-quality masks.

Looking ahead

Heading into March, Rhode Island continues on the road to recovery. Case numbers and hospitalizations are on the decline, and thousands of Rhode Islanders are getting vaccinated every week. Alexander-Scott said that she and other state officials are looking forward to "a great summer in Rhode Island."