‘Phase 2’ of RI reopening plan to begin Monday

Indoor restaurant seating to resume, travel restrictions will be lifted

PROVIDENCE – As the coronavirus continues to hit nursing homes and senior care centers particularly hard, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo Friday said the state has no plans to relax visitation restrictions to nursing homes and assisted living facilities during the second phase of the state’s reopening plan, which begins Monday.

“I want to recognize again how hard it has been for people who have loved ones in nursing homes and not be able to visit with them,” Raimondo said at her COVID-19 briefing yesterday. “We get a lot of letters and emails from people saying I haven’t seen my mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle, husband or wife in over two months and it’s devastating. I don’t discount that at all. I know it’s real and I wish we could do something differently.”

Raimondo signed an executive order yesterday that allows the state to officially begin the second phase of its reopening plan on Monday. Set to reopen with capacity limitations and social distance restrictions will be all state parks and beaches; child care centers; hair salons and barbershops; gyms and fitness centers; all houses of worship; work offices; and outdoor and entertainment facilities such as zoos, minigolf courses, boat rentals, public gardens and historical sites.

In addition, indoor dining at restaurants will be allowed up to 50 percent capacity; the social gathering limit will be lifted from 5 to 15; and travel restrictions will be largely lifted.

Nursing home visitations, however, will have to wait for now, the governor said.

“The truth of the matter is we continue to struggle to get a handle on this virus in nursing homes, assisted living centers and other communal living situations where it is difficult to keep people safe,” she said. “In light of that fact, we unfortunately will not be relaxing visitation restrictions on nursing homes during Phase II.”

“I know that is tough and I wish it weren’t the case,” she added. “We all wish it could be different, but right now it can’t.

At the beginning of Friday’s briefing, Raimondo said there were new coronavirus-related

deaths in Rhode Island and new cases. There were patients hospitalized as of yesterday. Rhode Island now has a total of , cases and its virus-related death toll stands at .

Raimondo says she hopes to be able to lift some nursing home visitation restrictions during Phase II, which is expected to begin July .

She said the state is working with hospitals to develop plans to allow visitation at those facilities, adding most hospitals in Phase II will make some accommodation for end-of-life visitation, but that hospital visitation in general won’t happen until Phase III.

“This is necessary. We have to keep your loved ones

safe in these settings and we also have to keep the people who work there every day safe,” Raimondo said. “+eath care workers have really shouldered the load for the past three months living with stress, anxiety and risk. We need to keep them and their families in mind too.”

Raimondo said the state will relax visitation for other congregate care settings during Phase II, including DCYF group homes and visitation, the ACI and other communal living settings where the population isn’t sick and frail. She said those specific guidelines will be posted on wwww.reopeningri.com.

“If it’s a communal living setting where the people

in that setting aren’t sick or elderly, they will be able to resume visitation under new social distancing restrictions,” she said.

+ealth Department Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott noted Friday that the state has completed the first two rounds of cyclical testing in nursing home settings.

“What cyclical testing means is that we have been offering tests to all residents and staff at all nursing homes across the state. That’s roughly , people in nursing homes getting regularly tested,” she said.

“This a critical and tremendous accomplishment and far exceeds what’s going on across the nation,” Alexander-Scott said. “This is the focus of how we want to continue to go forward and really hone in on the places that have the highest risk of transmission.”

During the briefing Raimondo addressed casinos, saying Twin River in Lincoln has decided to reopen on June by invitation only. There will be no table games and visitors will be required to wear masks and maintain safe social distancing.

“I applaud them for that. I think that’s the right way to do it,” she said.

She said the restaurants at Twin River will be subMect to the same restrictions and guidelines as other restaurants in Rhode Island.