rhode island coronavirus

Rhode Island on Monday began making COVID-19 vaccination appointments available to residents aged 65 and older amid questions over the pace of the state’s vaccine rollout. Appointments for eligible residents are expected to be available at mass vaccination sites such as the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence and the old Citizens Bank building in Cranston; as well as at retail…

Rhode Island Gina Raimondo on Thursday scuttled reports she was a leading candidate to become President-elect Joe Biden’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. “I am not going to be President-elect Biden’s nominee for HHS secretary,” she said at a press conference. “My focus is right here in Rhode Island, as I’ve said. I’m working 24-7 to keep Rhode...

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo said Wednesday that coronavirus outbreaks at two colleges are responsible for the state’s rise in COVID-19 numbers. Providence College accounts for about 150 new cases, with around 40 more at the University of Rhode Island, she said. “Without those cases, our overall case numbers were stable, actually declining slightly last week,” Raimondo said at her…

Gov. Gina Raimondo warns residents to stop gathering and continue to social distance as COVID-19 cases rise in Rhode Island.

Rhode Island’s top health official on Tuesday said racism over multiple generations has made the coronavirus outbreak worse for residents of color, as the nation grapples with the issue of racial inequality. “We recognize that there are inequities in our communities that can go back many, many generations,” health director Nicole Alexander-Scott said in a daily coronavirus news conference....

With no nationwide plan for reopening the country, governors have been left to their own devices in reopening their economies, creating conflicting restrictions across each state. According to The Boston Globe, new research from MIT found that people networking on their phones, videoconferencing and social media were influencing those in states with tighter restrictions to travel to other states. That…

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo shared her vision of what school might be like next fall during a news conference Thursday.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo on Thursday shared her vision of what school might be like in the fall, saying that while she hoped students would be back in classrooms, measures would be in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. “The plan is, if everything goes according to the way it is now, you’ll be able to...

Gov. Gina Raimondo said Wednesday that she remains hopeful she will be able to lift Rhode Island’s stay-at-home order on May 9 if the number of coronavirus cases continue to stay flat or even begin to decline. “We’re not seeing a decline, but we’re also not seeing an increase, and that’s really good news,” she said at her daily...

Gov. Gina Raimondo on Tuesday said her administration was cutting red tape in a bid to increase access to health care amid the coronavirus pandemic. In a news conference, Raimondo said she signed an executive order mandating “burdensome regulations” be relaxed to ensure residents can access affordable health care in a timely manner. “We want to do everything we can…

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo on Monday laid out her plan for reopening the economy, saying she hoped to lift the state’s stay-at-home order in two weeks amid signs coronavirus cases were reaching a plateau. In a news conference, Raimondo said she would begin reopening using a phased approach starting on May 9 if the state sees a consistent downward…

The number of new cases was down from the previous day’s, prompting Gov. Gina Raimondo to express cautious optimism that social distancing efforts were having a positive impact.

A drive-thru testing site has been set up in Medford to test all essential workers, even those who do not show symptoms of the coronavirus.

The Rhode Island State Department of Health on Saturday announced 19 new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the state’s total to 137.

High winds and heavy rains prompted the closure of some coronavirus testing sites on Monday. In Massachusetts, state officials said the testing sites at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and the Big E fairgrounds in West Springfield are closed due to the weather. Nine drive-thru testing sites in Connecticut have been shut down for the day, and all outdoor COVID-19 testing…

Today: Rain, damaging southerly wind gusts to 70 mph. Highs in the 60s.
Overnight Monday Night: Clearing. Lows in the 40s.
Tuesday: Fair, seasonable. Highs in the 50s.

Gov. Raimondo says a partnership with SalesForce.com will make contact tracing process more efficient, scalable.

After announcing that coronavirus cases in the state have topped 1,000, Gov. Gina Raimondo said the free, rapid CVS testing site in the parking lot of the Twin River casino will be a game changer.

Two more Rhode Island residents have died from the coronavirus, bringing the state’s total to 27, Gov. Gina Raimondo said Monday. At an afternoon news conference, Raimondo also announced there are now over 1,000 cases of COVID-19 in the state. Raimondo said there were 160 new cases of the virus since Sunday, for a total of 1,082 cases overall. “I’ve…

In a special news conference focused on children, Rhode Island Gov. Raimondo on Thursday praised students for their efforts to learn at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. “You guys are hitting the cover off the ball,” Raimondo told students, calling them “awesome” for participating in distance learning. Raimondo last month ordered schools to shut down their buildings and transition to…