Governor Gina M. Raimondo said Wednesday that Rhode Island is experiencing a resurgence of the coronavirus, and she plans to announce new restrictions to curb the spread.
The number of new cases of the virus had hit 160 on Tuesday, well over the 100 per day threshold that Raimondo set when she moved to phase three of reopening the economy at the end of June. That means the test positivity rate had climbed to 2.7 % — a level not seen since the surge following the Fourth of July. And the number of hospitalizations are rising.
But Raimondo said that shutting down businesses, schools or college campuses is not warranted because people generally are not contracting the virus in those places. Instead, she said, the virus is spreading among families and friends who are socializing in small groups without wearing masks or keeping a social distance. She warned anyone who is planning a Halloween party to cancel it.
“Let this be a wake up call to Rhode Island,’’ Raimondo said. “It’s time to make some changes. We all including my family have become a little too relaxed.”
The state also will increase testing of asymptomatic people for COVID-19, Raimondo said, adding that more of this testing will be mandatory “so we have a better feel of where the virus is.”
Raimondo said she plans to begin getting tested weekly, and advises others in high-contact jobs such as teachers, restaurant workers, factory workers, and clergy to do so as well.
The number of virus-related hospitalizations has also more than doubled to 106 patients, up from 67 patients last week. That’s prompted calls of concerns from hospitals, Raimondo said, though she said the state is still “well below” capacity for its hospitals and intensive care units.
