Complacency Could Cause Coronavirus Spike, RI Leaders Warn
PROVIDENCE, RI — As Rhode Island stands at the cusp of the third phase of reopening, Gov. Gina Raimondo and other top state officials warned residents to be extra vigilant about mask wearing and social distancing measures. A lapse in these measures could lead to a surge in cases like those currently seen in other states, Raimondo said.
"We're in a good place in Rhode Island as it relates to the virus," Raimondo said. "But as a country this is a situation that is changing and evolving every day."
As the state continues the phased reopening process, it's now even more important for Rhode Islanders to keep distance from others, wear a fabric face covering, stay home if they feel at all sick and get tested if they feel sick or are a close-contact worker.
Seven states reached new all-time highs in hospitalizations numbers in the past weeks, Raimondo said, even exceeding numbers from the height of the pandemic.
"I don't want that to be us," she said. "I don't want to be back up here at this podium telling you 'the safest place is to be back in your home.' And there is no reason we should have to do that — if we follow the rules."
Conversely, states with high mask-wearing percentages and aggressive, accessible testing are seeing lower coronavirus case numbers. The governor pointed to these factors for helping to keep Rhode Island's numbers low and preventing any major outbreaks. To keep this trend going, she urged all residents to continue to follow social distancing measures, fill out contact tracing logs and download the state's Crush COVID app if they have not done so.
"We don't want to win up in a mess again.," she said. "I am asking you to buckle down, myself included, and take a minute every night to write down everyone you've been with."
While most Rhode Islanders are cooperating with safety guidelines, some are not taking it seriously, the governor said, citing those who refuse to wear masks, businesses who openly defy reopening rules and crowds on beaches.
"It is really eye-opening to look at how quickly this picture can change," Raimondo said. "We really need to approach this virus with a sense of humility and realize it's here, and we really need to follow the rules, to avoid it taking us over in a week, or two, or three."
Patch editor Scott Souza contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on the Cranston Patch
