Hello friend,
There’s a lot going on these days, and it’s easy to miss things. That’s why I wanted to put together a recap of the announcements from the past week.
If you know someone who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest measures Rhode Island is taking to stop the spread of COVID-19, send them this link: lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/eYMG9tf . The better we all stay informed, the better we’ll be able to keep ourselves, our families, and our friends safe from COVID-19.
RISING CASE NUMBERS
We’re seeing a concerning trend in our data. Our cases and hospitalizations have been slowly ticking up for the last couple of weeks, and it’s becoming clear that we’re trending in the wrong direction. We’re seeing an overwhelming pattern of cases from small gatherings of family and friends – people who are complying with our gathering limit but are not wearing masks or socially distancing with those who don’t live in their household.
This is how community transmission happens. We start to feel safe around a small group of people, and we take off our mask, share food, or sit close to one another. But then the people in that group go off to their families and to their workplaces, and a few cases quickly become many. That’s what we’re seeing in Rhode Island. The good news is that it’s not too late to stop this trend. If we all buckle down now and recommit to being serious about following the rules, we can turn our situation around before it gets out of control.
NEW GUIDANCE
We need to be wearing masks more often. Anytime you’re with people you don’t live with — wear a mask. Even if it’s just with a small group of people in the comfort of your own home. Even if you’re only going for a walk with a neighbor. We feel safe in these settings, and that’s when the virus spreads. If we take off our masks, we could be spreading the virus without even knowing we have it, and our friends will then go into work and see their families, and it doesn’t take long before it spirals. So let’s make mask-wearing our default. Ask yourself, “Is there any reason I should NOT be wearing a mask right now?”
We also all need to be getting tested more often. Doing asymptomatic or “sentinel” testing is key to our overall testing strategy, and it is especially important now. It allows us to better understand where our problem areas are and take a more targeted, precise approach to our response. And it helps you better protect your friends and family when you may not even know you’ve been exposed.
If you fall into one of the groups that qualify for asymptomatic testing, which are listed here, please go to portal.ri.gov and sign up for a free test. Over the next week, we’ve set a goal of running 4,000 asymptomatic tests.
HOLIDAY PLANS
Halloween is two weeks away. Trick-or-treating will still be allowed, but it’s going to look different this year. We’re asking that you go in small groups, stay six feet apart, and wear cloth masks the entire time. In addition, we’re asking everyone to do your trick-or-treating in the daylight. As it gets darker, it gets more challenging – and less safe – for kids to be spread out in the way they need to be. So this year, I’m asking families to start a bit earlier and be home before sunset.
Do not, under any circumstance, have a Halloween party. Cases and hospitalizations are rising, and your decision to have a party will put more people in the hospital.
I also know people are already starting to plan for Thanksgiving. Please, keep it local this year and do not travel. We’ve talked all along about how our actions impact the case numbers we see a few weeks later. Well, three weeks after Halloween is Thanksgiving. And a month after that is Christmas. We were under a stay-at-home order for Easter, and Passover, and Ramadan. None of us wants to be back under a stay-at-home order for Thanksgiving or Christmas. But if we don’t recommit ourselves to following the rules today, then it’s not out of the question.
I hope you find this recap helpful. It’s so important that everyone stays engaged and informed so that we can all stay safe and healthy. On Monday, I’ll be talking to Dr. McDonald on my Facebook page at 10 a.m. And I’ll be back on TV with more updates Wednesday at 1 p.m.
GINA
We’re all in this together.
-Gina Raimondo
Governor
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