Shared from the 3/16/2020 The Providence Journal eEdition

Raimondo asks child-care centers to close

Reports no new coronavirus cases in state since Saturday

CRANSTON — Gov. Gina Raimondo is directing childcare centers to close this week, a change from her request from last week that they remain open.

Raimondo announced early Sunday afternoon that testing since Saturday has not found any additional positive cases of coronavirus in the state. The number of positive cases in the state remains at 20.

Raimondo said the state is now testing more than 100 people a day. About 2,300 people are in self-quarantine, Raimondo said, due to potential exposure to the virus, including the student body at Cranston High School West.

That number does not include people who have been instructed to self-quarantine after returning from international travel. Dr. Jim McDonald, medical director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, said that the state does track some people who are returning from specific countries but not everyone who has traveled internationally.

Raimondo said that she expects there will be more cases going forward, but said the lack of new cases since Saturday indicates that Rhode Island’s response to coronavirus “is working.”

She once again strongly urged Rhode Islanders to stay home and avoid crowds in the coming days.

The governor told children who will be out of school next week not to go to the mall or to restaurants and to avoid crowds. She indicated that she may soon announce new policies to cut down on gatherings in public places.

Asked if she thought malls would be shut down, she said she did not know. As of Sunday they remained open, she said, but she advised people not to go.

She also said people should be avoiding restaurants and bars, especially if they are 60 or older, or have underlying health conditions. She said officials are in discussions about whether they should stay open.

“If you follow these directions, we will save the lives of Rhode Islanders,” she said.

Raimondo encouraged people who are out of work because of the virus to apply for temporary disability insurance through the Department of Labor and Training. The state has waived the typical seven-day waiting period for the benefit, which lasts a total of 14 days.

“I’m also imploring the administration and the [United States Department of Agriculture] to allow us to advance money to folks who are on food stamps,” she said.

Raimondo said she expects the U.S. Congress to pass a stimulus package “any day” that would help provide relief to people in quarantine or those who have to stay home to care for their children. In fact, later on Friday, the Federal Reserve announced it was slashing short-term interest rates.

HealthSource RI, the official health-care portal for the state, has opened a special enrollment period through April 15 so that Rhode Islanders without health insurance can purchase coverage, according to a press release from the agency.

Those who wish to obtain coverage can visit www.healthsourceri.com or call Healthsource RI at 1-855-840-4774. When completing the online enrollment form, Rhode Islanders should select the “other” special enroll period event and indicate COVID-19 or coronavirus as the explanation, according to the press release.

Raimondo said she was also working with mayors and town managers on plans to deliver meals to seniors and other vulnerable people.

Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, which served nearly 2,500 homebound residents across the state last year, is continuing its regular service, according to Executive Director Meghan Grady. Staff members and volunteers are taking special precautions, including sanitizing delivery vehicles and practicing social distancing when delivering meals.

McDonald said that the state has a reserve of 200 respirators, some of which have been deployed to hospitals — not because they are currently needed but so that they are available when the time comes.

He said that most of the confirmed positive cases of coronavirus in Rhode Island are connected to travel or direct contact with someone who has the virus.

Raimondo said that the next two weeks would be a critical time for Rhode Island to slow the spread of the virus in an effort to avoid a surge in hospitalization.

“If you remember nothing else about this press conference, stay home,” she said. “I know that isn’t easy, but it’s the safe thing to do.”

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