Coronavirus Cases Jump -- Rhode Island Continues to Have Highest Spread in Northeast
GoLocalProv News Team
Coronavirus Cases Jump -- Rhode Island Continues to Have Highest Spread in Northeast
In Wednesday's report, the number of positive cases reported the day before was 284 — the fifth single highest day of cases since May.
The numbers were released more than five hours late on Wednesday, on what RIDOH claimed was a reporting issue by one of the labs.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIt marks one of the highest days for infection in months. On April 23, Rhode Island hit a high of 412 cases.
Numbers, Testing, and More
The state says it conducted 10,880 tests on Tuesday, but a significant portion were asymptomatic tests at the universities. Those test numbers are masking the infection rate -- Massachusetts reports the college numbers separately.
130 Rhode Islanders are in the hospital.
The number of new cases is just the latest piece of bad news.
On Tuesday, GoLocal reported that one top tracking database finds Rhode Island has the highest infection in the northeast.
The national tracking site Covid ActNow upgraded Rhode Island’s risk level to its highest category for “active or imminent outbreak.”
“Rhode Island is either actively experiencing an outbreak or is at extreme risk. COVID cases are exponentially growing and/or Rhode Island’s COVID preparedness is significantly below international standards,” reported COVID Act Now.
Covid Act Now provided the following data to place Rhode Island in its highest category — Rhode Island is the only state in New England and the Mid-Atlantic to currently have the designation.
* Daily new cases, 27.7 per 100K. “Dangerous number of new cases”
* Infection rate, 1.20 “Active cases are rapidly increasing”
* Positive Test Rate, 2.0%. “Indicates widespread testing"
* ICU Headroom Used, 18%. “Can likely handle a new wave of COVID”
* Tracers Hired, 14%. “Insufficient tracers, even if the program is run effectively"