UPDATED: Raimondo Orders Many New Restrictions in RI and Expands Enforcement
GoLocalProv News Team
UPDATED: Raimondo Orders Many New Restrictions in RI and Expands Enforcement
"We continue to see that bars are a problem — people congregating at a bar," said Raimondo. "Bars are doing OK, not great, at enforcing rules. Inspectors found 20% of bars still weren’t separating bartenders from customers."
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"I won’t hesitate to shut down all bar areas if a week from now we don’t see improvements," she added.
"Starting Friday no bar areas will be allowed to operate past 11 PM at night," said Raimondo. "Restaurants that have a bar can stay open but the bar area must be closed. We’re going to very much ramp our inspections. You cannot have people congregating in your bar area. I cannot make it any clearer."
Raimondo, who allowed for indoor seating at restaurants, is now urging people to eat outside if they can.
"We know outside is safer than indoors," said Raimond. "Work outside if you can, eat outside if you can — so many restaurants have gotten creative with pushing tables outside."
Cracking Down on Visitors -- And Helping Rhode Islanders Travel
"Several of our neighboring states put travel restrictions on citizens of Rhode Island," said Raimondo.
READ: Once the Quarantiner, Now the Quarantined—RI Now Landlocked Due to Coronavirus Numbers
"I think it’s a good thing," said Raimondo. "It should certainly be a wake-up call that we need to do better. The less we’re all traveling the better — this will mean fewer people coming to RI to use our facilities because it would mean quarantining when they go home. This will hurt our economy a bit."
Raimondo addressed those Rhode Islanders who plan on traveling outside the state, and need a negative quarantine test to do so.
"Starting this afternoon we’re going to make it easier to get a rapid test [for those people planning to travel]," said Raimondo, saying the information would be available at portal.ri.gov.
"If you’re planning on traveling, we have a site at the convention center — we’re working hard to get your results in 24-48 hours," she said.
As for visitors coming into the state, Raimondo addressed the issue.
"More than 11% of our cases traced back to out of state travel. We have to get a lot more serious about stopping these cases from coming to Rhode Island," said Raimondo, who showed a map of states, where if residents come to Rhode Island, they have to show a negative test from the prior 72 hours -- or quarantine for 14 days.
MORE BELOW CHART
"It’s constantly refreshed at reopeningri.com. If you’re planning any kind of travel, check it out, please we have to follow the rules — this also applies to Rhode Islanders who visit these states for non-work," she said.
"Beginning Sunday anyone from those states who checks into a hotel or beach rental will have to sign a certificate of compliance that they have a negative test result or will quarantine for 14 days," said Raimondo. "If you’re from one these 33 states and don’t have proof of a negative test in 72 hours hotels will have to turn you away."
"This approach is similar to what they’re doing Maine — we’re doing to learn from a successful strategy," she said.
TESTING
"Last week we were able to contract with two new labs — Accu Reference and Dominion, which is a local company," said Raimondo. "The combination of the two is going to massively expand our testing capacity and guarantee results in 48 hours."
"They’ll each do 1,000 a day," said Raimondo, noting that next month, Accu Reference plans to do 7,000 a day.
"This is a big win — hopefully in a week from now we’ll be in better shape for testing," said Raimondo. "Testing within 48 hours is a key piece to the puzzle if we’re going to get kids back to school safely."
"Today we’re expanding our asymptomatic testing to every Rhode Islander — 18-39," said Raimondo. "Go to portal.ri.gov — we know we’re having more trouble with young people — we’re saying we want you to get tested."
SCHOOLS
Raimondo is expected to make a major announcement about school reopening the week of August 16.
On Wednesday, she spoke to which schools would not open today under the current metrics -- and which schools had the best plans to reopen.
"Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence would not open in person if it were today," said Raimondo, due to the number of cases per 100,000 being over 100. "They would each move to a partial reopening plan instead of in-person."
As for who she said have the best plans?
Tiverton, Smithfield, Scituate, and Middletown," she said, urging people to review them at backtoschoolri.com.
HOTLINE
Raimondo also announced on Wednesday at her weekly press briefing that she has ordered Rhode Island State Police Colonel James Manni, to create a hotline to report violations of her Executive Orders relating to the size of gatherings. Gatherings are now limited to 15 people.
Effective Wednesday, the Rhode Island State Police have established a "Large Gathering Task Force Hotline" to report violations of social gatherings.
To report a suspected large gathering only, please call the following:
Rhode Island State Police:
Hotline number 401-764-5554