Rhode Island Jumps to 4th Highest Number of Coronavirus Deaths Per Capita in U.S.
GoLocalProv News Team
Rhode Island Jumps to 4th Highest Number of Coronavirus Deaths Per Capita in U.S.
After a relentless deluge of new cases over the past two-plus months, Rhode Island jumped over Louisiana, North and South Dakota and Connecticut.
Rhode Island only trails New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts in number of deaths per capita.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to Covid ActNow, Rhode Island is still the only northeastern state to be in “severe outbreak” and is one of two on the East Coast to hit such a level of outbreak. “Rhode Island is currently experiencing a severe outbreak. Take all possible precautions to avoid exposure," writes Covid ActNow.
Latest Fatalities
Over the past five days, Rhode Island health officials announced another 78 Rhode Islanders died.
“iI we had 78 deaths in an airliner accident, if a plane taking off from T.F. Green airport god forbid crashed and 78 people were killed the entire state would be pulled apart in mourning -- [but] this has become a regular occurrence," said Dr. Michael Fine, former RI Director of Health, on GoLocal LIVE.
Fine added that Rhode Island is now having a catastrophic disaster every week and warns that both government officials and the public is becoming immune to the endless number of deaths.
Rhode Island is ranked 7th for cases per 100,000.
Rhode Island’s vaccination program is facing significant challenges.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, the state had administered 17,020 vaccines in the first 17 days of vaccine availability -- the state averaged almost exactly 1,000 shots a day.
In the past 5 days — the pace has increased to just over 1,400 vaccinations per day. As of Sunday, 24,000 Rhode Islanders have received a first vaccine shot. It takes two shots to be fully vaccinated.
Even if the state doubled its improved rate of vaccination, it would take Rhode Island upwards of two years based on just 80% of the eligible target population receiving a full vaccination.
“We’re getting roughly 14,000 doses a week. Generally speaking, the doses getting administered are the doses that arrived in Rhode Island the previous week. (So, this week, the doses that arrived last week will be getting administered.) Vaccine is going straight to the hospitals, but for the vaccinating happening at most other sites, the vaccine has to be redistributed in smaller quantities after coming to a centralized site in Rhode Island in bulk,” Joseph Wendelken of the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Governor Gina Raimondo had promised in November that Rhode Island would be vaccinated by the end of the spring of 2021, but that claim looks to be unachievable.
Remember, both vaccines — the Pfizer one and the Moderna version — now approved for usage in Rhode Island -- require two shots.
In total, Rhode Island has received 50,000 dosages to date.