UPDATED: RI Coronavirus Cases Now Exceed 1,000 With 100+ in Hospitals, 37 in ICU
GoLocalProv News Team
UPDATED: RI Coronavirus Cases Now Exceed 1,000 With 100+ in Hospitals, 37 in ICU
The total number of Rhode Island coronavirus cases now stands at 1,082.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOn Monday, the Rhode Island Department of Health's Dr. James McDonald said that 37 of the hospitalizations are in ICU, and 27 are intubated.
According to McDonald, Rhode Island currently has 388 ventilators.
McDonald also said in a follow-up call with the press that the state is in the process of "cohorting" nursing homes.
"The strategy is going to be to cohort patients with COVID in a few nursing homes. We aren’t announcing the nursing homes yet because those agreements are being finalized as we speak," he said.
"We can have more [personal protective equipment] at those places, and the doctors and nurses who are treating those patients will have more familiarity with the folks with COVID 19. Ideally, we'll have better outcomes," he said.
"We need to have a place for patients in the hospital to go. We don’t want to send folks who are COVID-positive into a COVID negative home," he said.
"Right now there are at least 17 nursing homes with at least one case," said McDonald. "At Golden Crest, they have roughly 70 cases with both residents and staff."
McDonald noted that Oak Hill had 70 plus coronavirus cases among patients and staff.
New Testing
Raimondo spoke to the new drive-through testing ability at Twin River casino in Lincoln announced on Monday — which does not require a doctor referral.
“Go to cvs.com. They have an online reservation system,” said Raimondo. “Drive to Twin River for the rapid testing when you’re told to.”
Raimondo said the testing site is “not for children.”
"To go to National Guard testing sites, you need an appointment scheduled by your doctor — this is where your children need to go," she said. "Call your pediatrician. They will make an appointment for you and have the results in a few days.
Raimondo noted that the CVS site is only for "Rhode Island residents only."
Unemployment Updates
"Last week we received the news about the $2 trillion [stimulus package] and that unemployment insurance would begin to be available to who classes of workers who would otherwise be ineligible — gig workers, independent contractors, small business owners — who under normal circumstances would not qualify," said Raimondo.
"We received guidance that will now allow us to get those checks out," said Raimondo. "Starting at 8 AM tomorrow morning you can go to the DLT website and file an unemployment application."
"On top of that amount, for everybody [on unemployment] you’ll be receiving an additional $600 a week through July," she said.
Raimondo urged out of work Rhode Islanders not to call the DLT for 14 days after application.
"If you haven’t heard anything within 14 days of when your application is received, you can call," she said.