23 cases of coronavirus in R.I.

PROVIDENCE — As much of Rhode Island life transformed into a drive-up, online, or closed-door experience, Gov. Gina Raimondo on Tuesday signaled more school restrictions coming as the state confirmed two more cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 23.

And that number is certain to grow, Raimondo said.

While Rhode Island has the capacity to test more people for the novel coronavirus, a national shortage of patient specimen swabs — specifically designed for detecting this disease — is limiting the number of tests performed, said Raimondo and Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott.

Alexander-Scott said that local hospitals and commercial labs are ready to test more people and “once we have the supplies that are needed ... then we can move to the expansion for people who want to have the test and have symptoms.”

She said the governor had been on the phone “with the federal government endlessly, continually” appealing for more equipment. “But because of that limitation that every state is experiencing … we have to focus and streamline our tests for those … higher-risk folks — the hospitalized, those in congregate settings and those health-care workers.”

The more tests Rhode Island can do, the governor said, the better computer modeling health officials will have to predict how many people will become infected in the weeks and months to come.

So far 403 people have tested negative for the virus, said Alexander-Scott, and nearly 3,000 Rhode Islanders are now self-quarantined. Only one of the 23 who are known to have had the illness is being hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Raimondo on Friday closed all K-12 schools this week in an effort to minimize crowding to help prevent the spread of the disease.

She said she was waiting until Wednesday to make a further announcement on schools to make sure local communities “can deliver a high-quality education program” remotely.

The governor had given school districts until Thursday to develop an online plan.

Speaking at her daily press briefing on a subdued St. Patrick’s Day — devoid of the usual, crowded Capital City revelry — Raimondo cautioned of a shrinking state unemployment trust fund as thousands of Rhode Islanders filed claims — 6,911 alone on Monday.

“We’re going to pay every claim,” she said, but Congress needs to act now to replenish those unemployment dollars.

Raimondo said the federal government had approved the state’s disaster declaration request, making loans available of up to $2 million to small businesses for working capital.

Alexander-Scott said one of the new coronavirus cases announced Tuesday is a man in his 50s who had recently traveled widely, including to Germany and the United Kingdom.

The other is a woman in her 40s; the state is still trying to determine how she may have been exposed.

Alexander-Scott also said oral health-care offices had been urged to suspend nonessential operations for the next 21 days.

Raimondo thanked state businesses that were allowing employees to work from home with pay, and announced that Microsoft will provide free access to its Office 365 services to all Rhode Island businesses for the next six months.

She acknowledged again the financial hurt her previous ban on onsite food consumption at restaurants, bars and coffee shops was having, particularly on a day that is annually among the busiest for local pubs.

The federal government needs to “step up as soon as possible with relief,” she said, with more unemployment insurance, an economic stimulus package and more low- or no-interest loan opportunities for businesses.

The White House announced Tuesday it was considering sending money directly to Americans.

Raimondo said “social distancing” remained the best way to prevent respiratory illness; “I know we’re all going to get cabin fever but stay home.”

In Rhode Island “by and large people are heeding our directives. And the few of you that aren’t I’m going to ask you to get more serious about it. … Now is the time to let our spirit of Rhode Island, our kindness, our generosity, our patience, our view that we are really all in this together, to come forward.”

Raimondo announced that the United Way and the Rhode Island Foundation had opened on Tuesday a Rhode Island COVID-19 response fund. The fund will provide money to nonprofit groups to “help our most vulnerable,” including the homeless and those who rely on food pantries, and ensure people have access to transportation.

On its first day the fund had already raised $1.5 million, Raimondo said, with contributions from Bank of America, National Grid, Hasbro, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, and Amica Insurance. She hoped other businesses and individuals would contribute.