How Bad Is Rhode Island’s COVID Spike? One Chart Tells Us Everything

How Bad Is Rhode Island’s COVID Spike? One Chart Tells Us Everything

Rhode Island’s numbers for COVID in comparison to the rest of the country are harrowing.

According to Covid Act Now, Rhode Island has the highest number of new cases in America per capita. 

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The infections are hitting our lives and disrupting businesses -- Providence theater company Trinity Rep was forced to cancel performances of A Christmas Carol due to fear of infection among the actors. That is just the beginning of the interruptions now hitting schools, workplaces, and healthcare.

The New York Times' data shows that hospitalizations in Rhode Island have increased 64% in the past 14 days — the third-highest rate in the country.

However, the chart produced by the New York Times this weekend shows that Rhode Island’s spike is as bad as any spike since COVID was first detected in the United States in 2020.

Rhode Island's infection level is racing to that of December of 2020 when the state had the highest level of infection in the world.

Moreover, this spike is before the Omicron variant has begun to spread in the state. According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, the state has only detected one case. But the Omicron variant is now doubling cases in much of Europe. It is expected to spread across the U.S. at a record pace. 

Michael Osterholm, the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at the University of Minnesota, highlighted data from New York as proof that “outbreaks are starting to occur.” 

“I think we’re really just about to experience a viral blizzard,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett this week.