COVID-19 CRISIS

THE LATEST: Governor outlines path to 'new normal'

5 more deaths, 339 new cases reported in RI

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Editor's note: This story appears on our websites as part of a new partnership between Beacon Communications and East Bay Newspapers to share coverage of the COVID-19 crisis. For full audio of the governor's follow-up conference call with reporters, click here.

Five additional Rhode Islanders have died as a result of COVID-19 since Sunday, Gov. Gina Raimondo said in her daily briefing Monday afternoon. That brings the total number of deaths statewide to 155.

Additionally, 339 more Rhode Islanders have tested positive for the virus since Sunday, bringing the state’s total infection count to 5,090. In all, some 37,080 Rhode Islanders have been tested.

Raimondo warned Rhode Islanders Monday that while the state’s measures to contain the virus appear to be working, getting back to a sense of normalcy is going to take some time.

The state’s measures are “clearly working,” she said. “We are doing as well, if not better, than other states. (But) before I can do anything … we have to be really sure that our quarantining, isolation, testing (and) contact tracing is in an excellent place,” she said. “Right now there’s no vaccine and there’s really no therapy. Obviously, if there’s a medical breakthrough in the coming months, well that’s different. But in the absence of a therapy or vaccine, we’re going to have to take it slow.”

As much as many Rhode Islanders want to get back to their normal lives as soon as possible, she warned that easing restrictions will not be akin to flipping a switch, and she said she does not see any easing of restrictions prior to, at the earliest, Friday, May 8.

She noted that the state’s approach is consistent with guidelines issued by the federal government. Those include a two-phase approach, the first of which cannot begin until there is at minimum a 14-day trend of declining cases.

Even when that threshold is met, “we know it’s not going to be the way it was,” she said. “Until we have a vaccine, which is about a year away, we’re going to be living under a new set of circumstances. But we are going to be able to get back to business.”

When that “new normal” occurs, she said, depends on many factors:

1. Has the rate of spread continued to decrease? Is social distancing effective enough that the state will start to see a decline in cases?

2. Does the state have the capacity to quickly identify flare-ups before a major outbreak occurs?

3. Does the state have the necessary supports in place for vulnerable populations and for anyone in quarantine?

4. Does the health care system have the capacity to handle future surges?

Unfortunately, Raimondo said, Rhode Island is not there yet.

But she said the state’s approach — get the health care system as well-prepared as possible, continue testing as many people as possible, and continuing social distancing and stay-at-home measures — are vital. She believes that when the time comes, the strategy behind easing restrictions will be to target the most at-risk groups in an attempt to control future flare-ups.

For many at-risk Rhode Islanders, that will mean staying home longer than others.

“Older Rhode Islanders and those with pre-existing conditions are going to have to stay home longer,” she said.

“When it gets to be the time when I roll out new regulations … they are going to be different for those who are seniors and those who are younger.”

Rhode Island faces “headwinds” in its efforts, she acknowledged, as the majority of Rhode Island’s businesses are considered small, with 10 or fewer employees. Those have been hit the hardest, she said, and times will continue to be hard for them:

“We’re all going to have to be patient. Right now we’re living in a world of no more than five in any one place. We’re not going to go from five to 50 overnight and we’re certainly not going to go from five to 100. But we’re certainly going to get there as fast and as safely as possible. My goal will always be to get as many people back to work as fast as is safely possible.”

She also warned that when measures are eventually relaxed, they will be subject to review:

“We never again want to be in a position where I need to do what we’re living through now, which is a complete shutdown,” she said. “If in a month or two we start climbing the curb again, we will (reinstitute restrictions)."

SNAP benefits

Raimondo announced Monday that families of children enrolled in the state’s free and reduced lunch program will soon receive extra money, after the state’s request to increase funding was approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Many families will have funds ($5.70 for each child for each day of distance learning, retroactive to March 16) in their SNAP accounts this week. Those that do not receive them early this week will receive new SNAP cards in the mail as of Friday, May 8.

Latinos, African Americans hit harder

In her portion of the briefing, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, said the rates of infection are higher per capita in the state’s Latino and African American populations than for any other state demographic.

Of the total positive cases recorded so far, she said, 45 percent of those infected are Latino, though Latinos only make up 12 percent of the state’s population. Another 12 percent of the cases are among African Americans, though they make up just six percent of the state’s population.

“Why are we seeing this? There is not going to be just one answer about why this is occurring,” she said. “There are a number of factors which are at play. We’re taking a number of steps to address the disparities that we are seeing.”

Those include engaging community stakeholders to implement and identify testing strategies, she said, and other focused measures.

Comments

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  • thepilgrim

    Can’t wait for “new normal” when leftest RI has the worst economic conditions in the US. I’ve checked an seen that less people have died this year than normally. The true purpose of “Covid 19” is to destroy the economy and our America way of life. Above all, don’t take Bill Gates’ vaccination. Never allow the govt to put something in your bloodstream.

    Monday, April 20, 2020 Report this

  • bill123

    Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott: politician, not doctor. Polished public speaker. But if you want to hear lengthy responses to press questions that make you forget the question and dig for the answer, assuming there was one, listen to the governors daily briefing, if you can handle it. You get the idea by looking at the last two paragraphs.

    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Report this

  • Wuggly

    Why not let people decide for themselves if they wish to take the risk? Let the businesses open. If the people come they come. We all know the risks now. The more testing that has been done the more people are found to have antibodies meaning they have been exposed with no symptoms cause their body fought it off. 2 recent studies in Mass. have it at a third of those tested had antibodies with none reporting symptoms. The actual death rate of those exposed, as a percentage is dropping.

    By the way treating one race different from another because of race is racist.

    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 Report this

  • wwkvoter

    Wuggly, because many would also be risking OTHERS as silent carriers. Places that "lift' too soon in epidemics cause massive deaths for people who didnt themselves choose to "take the risk". better to let the apex pass, and by then get widespread testing and hopefully find out which treatments actually prevent death, then yeah, the risk will be low enough to reopen. We are not there yet. We will be, in a month maybe, but not now.

    Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Report this

  • thepilgrim

    Yes. Notice the implementation of “identity testing strategies”. That’s Newspeak for we will require all citizens to get the microchip vaccination.

    Thursday, April 23, 2020 Report this