Gov.: Next phase of reopening to allow larger gatherings
PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo on Friday gave Rhode Islanders a glimpse of what the third phase of the state’s reopening would look like amid the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that crowd sizes could increase, venues could begin operating at higher capacity, and businesses that have been closed since March could begin opening their doors to the public again.
The state has been in phase two of reopening for just over two weeks, but Raimondo used the majority of her press briefing on Friday afternoon to preview what phase three will look like in the not-too-distant future, calling it an “even more significant reopening” during which “essentially everything will be reopened in some form or fashion.”
In phase three, indoor social gatherings will be expanded to 50 to 75 people, while outdoor social gatherings will be expanded to 75 to 150 people. Raimondo defined social gatherings as “a party, a wedding, a networking event, a backyard barbecue, a graduation party, it’s a gathering of people, all of whom pretty much know each other and will be mingling. It’s not going to a restaurant where you go with a few people and don’t know anyone else.”
Indoor venues operating at a percent capacity ± such as restaurants and places of worship ± can increase to 66 percent capacity with six-foot spacing, while indoor spaces operating at a square-footage capacity ± such as retail ± can increase up to one person per 100 square foot with six-foot spacing.
All indoor venues that have been closed in the first two phases will be able to reopen in phase three. This includes movie theaters, bowling alleys, arcades, museums, and performance venues, up to 66 percent capacity or one person per 100 square feet. Raimondo said that large venues such as arenas, auditoriums, or concert halls where capacity restrictions could result in “very, very large groups” of more than 250 people indoors will be asked to submit a specific individualized plan to Rhode Island Commerce and the Rhode Island Department of Health.
In phase three, there will be no cap on the number of people who can be in an outdoor setting at one time, provided a six-foot distance is maintained, although having more than 250 people in an outdoor place of public interaction is not recommended.
“It’s our job to tell you what we think is safe « So technically, you can go to an outdoor venue with more than 250 people outside, but we don’t think that’s a good idea, we don’t think that’s safe. But we do know if you’re outside, it’s much safer than inside,” Raimondo said.
The executive order for phase two is set to expire on June 29 and Raimondo said
she is “optimistic” that when that order ends, she’ll have a new order in place to begin phase three, with phase four potentially in place in August. The governor said phase three will be about trusting in Rhode Islanders and their judgment.
“Everybody in Rhode Island now understands the risks, understands how to reduce the risk, and should understand that it’s in your best interest to follow the rules. Furthermore, it’s the right thing to do as a Rhode Islander to protect your community,” Raimondo said. “Also, we could be living with coronavirus for a year or more, so slowly I want to get out of the business of telling everyone exactly what to do and exactly how to do it, but rather to provide you with guidelines and leading from a place of trust and confidence that you’re going to live within those guidelines, follow the rules, and reduce the risk.”
“I’m asking you to follow the rules because I want you to take pride in being a Rhode Islander and take pride in the Rhode Island response to COVID. Health Department Director Nicole Alexander-Scott said the state had 68 new positive cases of COVID-19 on Friday, with 123 people hospitalized. Of the 123 in the hospital, 23 were in intensive care and 12 were on ventilators. Additionally, nine new deaths were reported on Friday. Of the nine deaths, one person was in their 60s, one person was in their 70s, three people were in their 80s, and four people were in their 90s, Alexander-Scott said. Looking ahead to the school year Raimondo on Friday also detailed the plans for the reopening of schools on Aug. 31, saying the upcoming year is going to be “hard, it’s going to be different, you cannot just say ‘This is the way it was,’” citing transportation as an example, saying “we cannot just say ‘Double the number of yellow buses.’” “Full, in-person learning is the goal,” Raimondo said. Elementary- and middle-school students will be in “stable groups” of 30 or fewer, meaning the same 30 children should be interacting every day. For high school students, Raimondo said, stable groups are recommended whenever possible, recommending six feet of distance or the wearing of face masks. However, if a virus spike is seen during the year and schools need to scale back, there are two options for partial in-person learning and very limited in-person learning with a prioritization on the youngest children remaining in school. Raimondo has requests to every school district in Rhode Island, saying she wants the districts to submit their reopening plans to the Rhode Island Department of Education by July 17. The governor on Friday also announced a fund to provide direct cash assistance to Rhode Islanders unable to benefit from most public programs due to their immigration status. Her goal is to raise 3 million, saying the money will be used to provide families in need with 400 debit cards. To donate, text “WeR1” to 27126.