Newport County's COVID cases up 54.2%; Rhode Island cases surge 26.2%
New coronavirus cases leaped in Rhode Island in the week ending Sunday, rising 26.2% as 4,268 cases were reported. The previous week had 3,383 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Rhode Island ranked second among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 33.2% from the week before, with 501,037 cases reported. With 0.32% of the country's population, Rhode Island had 0.85% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 43 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Newport County reported 296 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 192 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 20,876 cases and 93 deaths.
Within Rhode Island, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Newport County with 361 cases per 100,000 per week; Washington County with 340; and Bristol County with 326. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Providence County, with 1,922 cases; Kent County, with 513 cases; and Washington County, with 427. Weekly case counts rose in five counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Providence, Kent and Newport counties.
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Rhode Island ranked 1st among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 98.6% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.
In the week ending Wednesday, Rhode Island reported administering another 11,586 vaccine doses, including 2,626 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 12,829 vaccine doses, including 2,226 first doses. In all, Rhode Island reported it has administered 2,222,957 total doses.
In Rhode Island, four people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, eight people were reported dead.
A total of 375,897 people in Rhode Island have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 3,544 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 81,863,725 people have tested positive and 997,526 people have died.
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Rhode Island's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 8.
Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 100
The week before that: 112
Four weeks ago: 69
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 45,875
The week before that: 42,092
Four weeks ago: 37,354
Hospitals in 36 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 32 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 35 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Newport County reported 296 additional COVID-19 cases this week
