R.I. reports uptick in new COVID-19 cases

(AP) — The Rhode Island Department of Health reported 102 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, the largest single-day total since June 10.

The agency also reported one new coronavirus-related death, bringing the state death toll from the disease to 985 patients.

There were 69 patients with the coronavirus in Rhode Island hospitals as of Sunday, the most recent date for which data were available, with five patients in intensive care.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

Economic recovery

Rhode Island has moved past the worst of the coronavirus economic downtown, but it may be years before things get back to what is considered normal, University of Rhode Island economist Len Lardaro says.

“For Rhode Island, we weren’t doing terribly well before the pandemic hit,” he said Monday. “My own prediction was that by the end of 2020 there was a better than 50/50 chance Rhode Island would have entered a recession.”

He said the state wasn’t prepared.

“I’m thinking three to five years for Rhode Island before we get back,” Lardaro said.

The economic recovery also depends on whether a

COVID-19 vaccine is developed, he said.

Ice cream shop closes

A popular Rhode Island ice cream shop is shutting down for the rest of the summer, saying customer behavior has gotten out of hand.

Brickley’s Ice Cream management said in a Facebook post Tuesday that the South Kingstown store will remain closed after two men who were told they could not eat their ice cream on the store’s patio Sunday verbally abused the staff. One of the men almost got into a fight with another customer who tried to intervene, they said.

“This is unacceptable and is becoming unsafe for both our staff and customers,” the post said.

The patio is reserved for people waiting for their orders, management said.

Brickley’s Narragansett store will remain open.

RISD faculty concessions

The full-time faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design has agreed to certain concessions in exchange for the administration not laying off any professors during the next academic year.

The school in Providence warned last month that it would need to let go some faculty members to address a $50 million deficit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic after the professors rejected the school’s money-saving measures.