Raimondo scales back reopening

‘Phase 3’ will be more restrictive than was previously announced

WOONSOCKET – Rhode Island stays on track to enter Phase 3 of the reopening of the economy today, but it won’t completely escape the surge in the spread of the virus that’s happening across a large swath of the country.

That was the upshot of yesterday’s pandemic briefing from Gov. Gina Raimondo, who announced a less aggressive reopening for Phase 3 than she originally called for just a few days ago, with tighter limits on group gatherings, including musical performances, festivals – and Fourth of July celebrations.

And, as the tourist season heats up, quarantines are back in full-force, with a mandatory 14-day lockdown for visitors from any of 23 states where the test-positivity rate is higher than 5 percent. Moreover, the governor said, anyone from Rhode Island who travels to one of those states should quarantine upon returning to the state, or get a

test to prove they’re not infected.

“It’s going to be very difficult to enforce, I’ll be the first to admit it,” Raimondo said, suggesting it may not be the best time for travel. “If you don’t have to travel, stay home.”

With the last-minute changes in effect, Raimondo said she feels it’s safe to enter Phase 3, the closest the state has been to permitting normal economic activity in about 14 weeks.

“I’m confident of it and also we’re going to continue to change our response in the days and weeks ahead because the virus is changing and our experience is changing,” the governor said. “And that’s what we’re going to have to do, constantly change and adapt, just as we have.”

The news comes as Rhode Island looks increasingly like an outlier on the national pandemic map – in a good way. While Arizona, Texas, and Florida are seeing coronavirus cases rise, Rhode Island and Connecticut appear to be the only two states in the country where the disease is actually in retreat.

Rhode Island, Raimondo said, “is setting an example for the rest of America.” She said the state has proven that

mask-wearing and social distancing work, and Rhode Island will stay on track to continue reviving the economy, without risk of a backslide, if residents continue to follow the rules during what may be the most challenging time – the height of summer.

The latest data illustrate the state’s continued success in beating back the spread of the disease. While the Rhode Island Department of Health has logged a total of 946 fatalities since the onset of the pandemic, including 6 in the last 24 hours, there were just 16 new cases on a test pool of 1,392 individuals. That boils down to a test-positivity rate of about 1 percent.

If there was one blip in the data that troubled Raimondo, however, it concerns people in their 20s. Despite the overwhelmingly positive trends, new infections among people aged 20-29 have spiked 60-70 percent since June 23, prompting Raimondo to issue a special warning directed toward that age demographic.

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“Obviously as we approach the height of summer the challenge of managing this age group is going to increase,” said the governor, adding that she expects to make announcements in the coming days about enforcement and public education.

In addition, the governor said the key metrics RIDOH is using to gauge the strength of COVID-19 in the population are all favorable, including hospital capacity and new admissions. Also, the socalled R-value, which stands for the number of people who can catch the virus from one infected person, is below 1, a fraction of what it was just four weeks ago.

Balancing the desire to reignite the economy and keep people safe, however, the governor said the prudent course of action is to slightly reel in the limits on large group gatherings – the types of settings in which COVID-19 thrives.

For group gatherings, the adjusted limit for Phase 3 will be 25 people for indoor events, 50 for outdoor. These events include barbecues, birthday parties and similar gatherings.

Weddings will also have to meet those guidelines, unless the nuptials involve the service of a licensed caterer. In that case, the cap will be 50 guests for indoor events, 100 outdoors. Those numbers are lower than the original fore

cast guidance that may have prompted some to schedule bigger events in July, the governor acknowledged.

But she said it may not be necessary to change course now. She said wedding planners can call the state Department of Business Regulation to develop a plan to keep those gatherings safe.

Also, for public events, including musical performances and festivals, the new limits are 125 for indoor events and 250 for outdoor events. The rules will now also require organizers of such events to submit a plan to DBR for any public event that will draw more than 100 people.

As for Independence Day, the governor said, “We do

not want to see Fourth of July events that go over 250 people outside.” Raimondo said she expects cities and towns to enforce the cap, and if they need help, the state will provide it.

“We want people to have a good Fourth of July, but we don’t want outbreaks,” Raimondo said.

Phase III is still the milestone that will see many kinds of commerce that’s been shuttered reopen again for the first time since mid-March, including movie theaters, bowling alleys and athletic venues. Also, most businesses that were reopened in Phase II with capacity restrictions, including restaurants and non-essential retail, can continue ramping up their activities, so long as they observe social distancing orders, including mask-wearing and providing enough room for customers to stand at least six feet apart.

In other actions on Monday, Raimondo announced that there will be no press briefing on July 4 – Friday – but she’ll extend various executive orders that were set to expire. Those include mandatory face masks when social distancing cannot be observed and 14-day quarantines for anyone who has had contact with a person who tests positive for COVID-19.