9 Communities Are Now Running 5 Times RI's Action Level for Coronavirus Cases

9 Communities Are Now Running 5 Times RI's Action Level for Coronavirus Cases

In Rhode Island, there are now nine communities that are running five times the state’s action level of 100 cases per week per 100,000 residents.

Governor Gina Raimondo announced in August that 100 cases per 100,000 residents was the standard for safety -- and deemed that schools in communities above that level could not open and those that spiked above the 100 cases standard would need to close.

Now, nine communities in Rhode Island are above 500 cases per week per 100,000 residents.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

While three of the four largest cities are on the list, so are suburban and rural towns.

Since the summer, former Rhode Island Director of Health Dr. Michael Fine was warning that the 100 case standard was too high and that restrictions needed to be in place to lower the standard to 2 new cases per day or 14 per week — a standard one-sixth the Raimondo administration’s level.

Regardless of the standard, in Rhode Island today the virus is running rampant.

On Friday, the Rhode Island Department of Health announced 1,050 new cases. Rhode Island in the past week has recorded nearly 7,000 new cases.

SEE THE CITIES AND TOWNS BELOW OVER 5X STATE'S ACTION LEVEL

On November 5, there was only one Rhode Island community over 500 cases per 100,000 residents.