New Coronavirus Developments and Concerns in Rhode Island and Beyond
GoLocalProv News Team
New Coronavirus Developments and Concerns in Rhode Island and Beyond
"We don't have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward," said Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday.
In Rhode Island, Governor Gina Raimondo and Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott said that Rhode Island has "enough tests," and but refused to say how many tests the state presently has.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTDuring a press conference Thursday, Raimondo said the state has a new protocol for testing.
“We are utilizing multiple options for places people can go for specimen collection if they need to be tested, including non-healthcare settings. RIDOH will direct people to these locations for specimen collection as needed. Samples will be sent to the RIDOH State Health Laboratories for testing,” announced the Department of Health on Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday night, Massachusetts state health officials announced the second presumptive case and the third case overall of coronavirus.
READ THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS BELOW
New Coronavirus Developments and Concerns in Rhode Island and Beyond: March 6, 2020
We Need Millions of Tests
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared on a CNN special on Thursday night, where he said there were missteps in regards to the CDC's initials tests for coronavirus and that he believes "millions and millions of tests" will be needed.
EPA Releases List
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a list of disinfectants to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.
The EPA list contains products that are "qualified for use against COVID-19" through the agency's Emerging Viral Pathogen program where manufacturers provide the EPA with data that "shows their products are effective against harder-to-kill viruses."
CLICK HERE TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE LIST
Massachusetts Reports Third Case
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Thursday that a second presumptive positive case of the coronavirus -- COVID-19 --has been identified.
The woman is in her 60s and lives in Middlesex County. Her recent European travel included northern Italy.
She was symptomatic, did not require hospitalization, and is recovering at home.
This case brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts to three - one confirmed and two presumptive positive - since the outbreak started in the U.S. in January.
“We appreciate this patient’s cooperation. While the risk to Massachusetts remains low, residents should make sure they and their families are well-informed about COVID-19 and heed the CDC’s updated international travel health alert,” said Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH.
Nursing Homes Most Vulnerable
Half of the nation's deaths are tied to one nursing home in the state of Washington. There are 13 in Washington and 7 are directly tied to Life Care Center in Kirkland.
In Rhode Island, the State is implementing a new policy:
Visitation policies: To help protect the public, RIDOH has worked with healthcare facility partners to develop a policy to limit visitors in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. This policy restricts people from visiting staff or patients if they are younger than 18 years of age or if they are sick.
The policy also includes steps and guidance for further limiting visitation, should that become necessary. RIDOH has developed posters to help facilities communicate about this policy.
Up to Date Numbers (As of 3-5-20)
Number of Coronavirus Cases Globally: 97,886
Number of Deaths Globally: 3,348
Number of Cases in the U.S.: 228
Number of Death in the U.S.: 14 (13 in the State of WA)
Number of Rhode Island cases: 2
Number of people who had negative test results at RIDOH’s State Health Laboratories: 17
Number of people for whom tests are pending: 8
Number of people who are currently instructed to self-quarantine in Rhode Island because they had direct contact with a person with COVID-19: approximately 200
