7 Major Coronavirus Developments — RI Ranked 2nd Most Restrictive State — May 19, 2020
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7 Major Coronavirus Developments — RI Ranked 2nd Most Restrictive State — May 19, 2020
Rhode Island was ranked #50 as the list included the District of Columbia.
"Americans experienced unprecedented restrictions on their everyday life in order to fight the coronavirus, but now most states have partially reopened," said WalletHub.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"In order to identify the states that have the fewest coronavirus restrictions, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 11 relevant metrics" - which can be found here.
South Dakota was ranked #1, Wisconsin #2, and Idaho #3 as the least restrictive.
Only Illinois is ranked more restrictive at #51 than Rhode Island.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 11 key metrics. The data set ranges from whether child-care programs and restaurants have reopened to the presence or absence of a “shelter-in-place.”
WATCH AT NOON: Former Director of Health Dr. Michael Fine on GoLocal LIVE
See Slideshow: 7 Major Coronavirus Developments Below
7 Major Coronavirus Developments — May 19, 2020
Only Two Beaches Reopening on Memorial Day
Governor Gina Raimondo announced on Monday that just two beaches will be opened for Memorial Day.
East Matunuck State Beach and Scarborough State Beach will reopen on Memorial Day, May 25th, in a limited capacity.
Bathrooms and concessions will be closed, and reduced parking will be enforced. The reopening of all beaches, including bathrooms and concessions, is planned for the beginning of Phase 2.
Plan to Open Houses of Worship
Houses of Worship: The state is targeting allowing in-person faith services the weekend of May 30th.
Guidelines will be available on ReopeningRI.com later this week.
Trump Said He is Taking Hydroxychloroquine
On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that he is taking the drug hydroxychloroquine as protection against the coronavirus.
Physicians have warned that the use of the drug for the coronavirus has had no measurable positive effect and may be dangerous.
Walmart Sales
While some retailers are filing bankruptcy - J.Crew, JCPenney, and Neiman Marcus - others are reporting a dramatic increase in sales.
The Wall Street Journal reports Tuesday morning:
Walmart is reaping the rewards of being one of few retailers positioned to successfully navigate a global pandemic, reporting a surge in quarterly sales as consumers flocked to its giant stores to stock up on food and household goods.
The country’s largest retailer said U.S. comparable sales, those from stores and digital channels operating for at least 12 months, rose 10% in the quarter ended May 1. It was a period when the new coronavirus upended consumer buying habits, forced many competitors to temporarily close and led more than 30 million Americans to file for unemployment.
Walmart’s U.S. foot traffic fell in the quarter, but spending per transaction rose 16.5%. Walmart sales got a boost in April when shoppers spent government stimulus money, the company said. E-commerce sales jumped 74% as millions of customers switched to ordering online for home delivery or picking up groceries in the company’s parking lots.
Hairdressers Looking at June
The state announced that it is in the process of developing guidelines for hair salons and barbershops to begin reopening in Phase 2.
Monday, Governor Gina Raimondo announced that Rhode Island and Connecticut are coordinating timelines for reopening these businesses in early June.
Numbers
12,795 Cases in Rhode Island
87,052 Cases in Massachusetts
506 Deaths in RI
5,862 Deaths in Massachusetts
1,550,539 Cases in the United States
91,985 Deaths in the United States
4,911,816 Global Cases
320,458 Global Deaths
1,919,737 Global Recoveries
GoLocal LIVE -- Tuesday, May 19, 2020
12:00 PM - Dr. Michael Fine, Former RI Director of Health
1:00 PM - Governor Gina Raimondo Briefing
EDITOR'S NOTE: Gov. Raimondo has reversed her policy and is now allowing reporters to attend press conferences and directly ask questions. For more than 6 weeks she had blocked reporters from directly asking questions for the public to hear.
