RI Tops 1,600 Deaths - Near Record Hospitalizations and 1,081 New Coronavirus Cases

RI Tops 1,600 Deaths - Near Record Hospitalizations and 1,081 New Coronavirus Cases

The Rhode Island Department of Health reported 1,051 new coronavirus cases and 12 deaths on Thursday — pushing the number of fatalities in the state to 1,602.

Rhode Island continues to be ranked as having the second most coronavirus cases per capita in the United States, now second only to Tennessee.

And Rhode Island now has 479 hospitalizations -- a near-record.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The “pause” seems to have had minimal effect on cases in Rhode Island.

The numbers nationally are bleak too.

U.S. in Focus

The United States posted a record number of deaths on Wednesday with more than 3,600, according to CNN.

Hospitalizations have also recorded a new high, and the U.S. has now topped 315,747 deaths.

And the New York Times reported, there were more than 245,000 new cases in the United States on Wednesday — an increase of 29% over the past 14 days.

Governor Gina Raimondo is scheduled to hold a press briefing on Friday at 1 pm. She has been under quarantine since Friday after RI Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott tested positive. Also, last week, Raimondo’s Director of Administration Brett Smiley also tested positive.

Dr. Michael Fine will appear on GoLocal LIVE after Raimondo's press conference at 1:30 PM