coronavirus in rhode island

The Rhode Island Department of Health made about 4,000 first-dose coronavirus vaccination appointments available on Tuesday. The appointments for the Moderna vaccine were for March 30 through April 3 at the state-run mass vaccination site at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence. More first-dose appointments will be made available on Wednesday, but a department spokesperson said in a statement that…

The city of Pawtucket on Monday opened coronavirus vaccination eligibility to all adults who live in the city. Residents must be 18 or older to receive a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine or 16 or older for a Pfizer shot, Mayor Donald Grebien said in a statement. “There is a demand in the community for vaccines, and we are…

The Providence School Department has notified 270 staff, mostly teachers, that they will need to apply for different jobs this spring as a result of ending one-year positions and failure to meet certification requirements. The U.S. Justice Department has ordered the school district to hire more English as a Second Language teachers after the federal department found rampant deficiencies in…

As part of its plan to get the coronavirus vaccine to residents who cannot leave their homes, Rhode Island health officials on Friday launched a website to gather information about the housebound. The site does not allow people to sign up for a vaccination appointment — it is simply to collect information for planning purposes, the state Department of Health…

Vaccines have been given to board members at Lifespan and trustees at Care New England even as older adults across the state have to wait weeks or months for their turn, officials say. Both companies, the state’s largest and second-largest hospital groups, respectively, have expanded eligibility to everyone who works there, no matter their age or risk or exposure,...

Lt. Gov. Daniel McKee is quarantining at home after coming into close contact with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Saturday. The lieutenant governor learned of the close contact Saturday morning, has since tested negative and is showing no symptoms, officials said. He will continue to be tested and will remained quarantined until midnight on Jan. 12,…

Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo said in a message Tuesday night that COVID-19 test scheduling has been suspended for Thursday. She also urged residents to check if their testing site is closed Thursday if they already have a test scheduled. Closures well be posted on the state Department of Health’s social media channels, Raimondo said. Some outdoor testing sites may...

Rhode Island’s coronavirus numbers continue to head in the wrong direction, according to data released Friday. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Rhode Island has now risen over the past two weeks from almost 884 on Nov. 19 to 1,033 on Thursday, according to the COVID Tracking Project. The state Department of Health on Friday reported 1,326…

People flying into T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, Thanksgiving weekend will have the opportunity to get a COVID-19 test shortly after landing, NBC affiliate WJAR reports. The voluntary, rapid tests were offered to anyone arriving at the airport in a roped area near the baggage claim. The free coronavirus tests will be performed by The National Guard...

With the Thanksgiving holiday still a month away and cases of the novel coronavirus on the rise, Gov. Gina Raimondo is asking Rhode Island residents not to travel and to celebrate responsibly in smaller groups. During her Wednesday news conference, Raimondo said like all holidays this year, Thanksgiving will be different and residents need to adjust. “I know that’s...

Gov. Gina Raimondo on Wednesday urged Rhode Islanders to plan their Thanksgiving holidays ahead and to not travel in order to keep cases of the coronavirus down.

Providence College hopes to resume in-person classes for all students on Oct. 12, the school’s president said. Before that, the week of Oct. 5 is focused on further extensive testing of the student body, the Rev. Kenneth Sicard said. He said students who left on-campus or off-campus residences during a stay-at-home period that started on Sept. 17 will be tested…

Providence College hopes to resume in-person classes for all students on Oct. 12, the school’s president said.

The University of Rhode Island has joined a growing number of U.S. colleges canceling spring break to reduce travel and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. University officials announced the measure Friday evening, a week after the Faculty Senate approved the change, according to The Providence Journal. It was also supported by university President David Dooley. Classes will continue from...

Providence College has issued a stay-at-home order and moved to remote learning after over 80 students tested positive for the coronavirus, the school announced Thursday night. College President Rev. Kenneth Sicard said in an email to students and faculty that the school is issuing a stay-at-home order for all students and all students living on campus will be tested. The…

A spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America said that colleges should isolate students on campus if an outbreak occurs rather than send them home, which could lead to further spread and make contact tracing more difficult, according to the Boston Herald.

In a COVID-19 update, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced that starting Sunday, anyone coming from a state on Rhode Island’s quarantine list will be required to sign a compliance certificate that they either tested negative for COVID-19 or they plan to quarantine for 14 days.

A Rhode Island nursing home trade group is defending the way its members cared for residents during the coronavirus pandemic, after Gov. Gina Raimondo pledged more scrutiny of the facilities as the state recovers. Rhode Island’s “nursing homes and our workers fought tirelessly against this virus, yet without the proper tools and support, they were climbing uphill,” Rhode Island...

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed this year’s Newport International Boat Show. Newport Exhibition Group announced Tuesday that the annual event scheduled to take place Sept. 17-20 at the Newport Yachting Center has been canceled. Rhode Island has limited the number of people who can attend outdoor events to 250 in the third phase of its economic reopening plan. Show operator…