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Governor announces actions in masks, vax/boosters, testing – expected pushback follows
Following Governor McKee’s announcement yesterday, the office released a statement and it was not soon after that statements were released by the Diocese of Providence, the RI GOP and the RI Small Business Coalition.
This is a developing story:
Governor McKee Announces Comprehensive Actions to Address COVID-19 Cases and Alleviate Pressure on Hospital Systems While Keeping Schools Open for In-Person Learning and Preventing Economic Disruption to Small Businesses
McKee Thanks the More than 76% of all Rhode Islanders Who Have Completed a Primary Vaccine Series, Urges Rhode Islanders to Get a Booster
Comprehensive Actions Announced by McKee Utilize the Tools That We Know Work to Stop the Spread While at the Same Time Provide Flexibility for Small Businesses
Joined by the Rhode Island Department of Health, representatives of the medical community, members of the small business community, the State’s whole of government COVID-19 response team, and Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, Governor Dan McKee today announced comprehensive actions to address an increase in COVID-19 cases and alleviate pressures on our hospital systems while keeping schools open for in-person learning and preventing economic disruptions to small businesses.
“The health and safety of Rhode Islanders must always be our top priority,” said Governor McKee. “The comprehensive actions that my Administration is announcing today focus on what we know works to stop the spread of COVID-19 and alleviate pressures on our hospital systems. I want to thank all the Rhode Islanders who have stepped up to get vaccinated — and I’m now urging you to get your booster shot.”“The comprehensive set of actions that the Governor announced today focus on the tools that will get us through this surge in cases and help alleviate capacity issues and stress on our health care systems,” said Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH. “Masks are effective at limiting the spread of COVID-19, and getting your primary vaccine series and your booster dose makes it much less likely that you will get seriously ill from COVID-19. There are dozens of vaccination opportunities all throughout Rhode Island every day. If you have gotten your primary series or your booster dose, get vaccinated today.”
Actions to Curb Cases and Hospitalizations using Masking and Proof of Vaccination
The Governor announced several temporary measures to bring additional layers of mitigation during the holidays when more time is spent gathering indoors. The measures fall into three categories and focus on both masking and proof of vaccination. These temporary measures will go into effect on Monday, December 20, 2021.
Proof of vaccination includes screenshots or printouts from the State’s vaccine record lookup portal (portal.ri.gov), in addition to your vaccination card or a photo of your vaccination card.
Indoor venues (including retail, restaurants, venues of assembly, and entertainment establishments) with a capacity of 250 persons or more:
Masking will be required of employees and patrons inside venues with a capacity of 250 or more regardless of vaccination status.
This will apply to all recreation and entertainment establishments, all historical and cultural establishments, all religious and faith-based organizations, and all retail or service businesses conducting operations in indoor venues.
Indoor venues (including retail, restaurants, venues of assembly, and entertainment establishments) with a capacity of fewer than 250 persons:
Masking or proof of vaccination will be required of employees and patrons inside venues with a capacity of fewer than 250 persons.
Establishments can adopt either:An across the board indoor masking requirement,An across the board vaccination requirement,Or allow individuals to either be masked or show proof or vaccination.
This applies to recreation and entertainment establishments, historical and cultural establishments, religious and faith-based organizations, and retail or service businesses conducting operations in indoor venues.
The above policy also applies to catered events of fewer than 250 guests.
Office-based businesses, manufacturers and other public or private employers
All office-based businesses, manufacturers and other public or private employers with indoor operations shall require either masking or proof of vaccination for all persons on their premises.
Establishments can adopt either: An across the board indoor masking requirement, An across the board vaccination requirement, Or allow individuals to either be masked or show proof or vaccination.
Actions to Improve Testing Accessibility and Test Result Wait Times
In addition to temporary masking and proof of vaccination measures, Governor McKee is taking action to strengthen the state’s COVID-19 testing strategy. Rhode Island currently leads the nation in tests per capita.
Governor McKee announced that the State will distribute 100,000 at-home rapid COVID-19 test over the next two weeks. Health Equity Zones and community partners will support the distribution of tests to residents. Using these tests, Rhode Island will be able to test approximately 10% of its population over the next two weeks. The Governor has requested an additional 1 million at-home rapid tests from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will allow the State to provide rapid tests to all 39 cities and towns.
Rhode Island is currently processing the highest volume of PCR tests than at any other time during the pandemic response. Governor McKee has directed RIDOH and the Department of Administration to swiftly explore additional laboratory capacity to help reduce COVID-19 PCR test result turnaround times.
Additionally, Governor McKee announced that Rhode Island will continue to expand its test to stay initiative. Test to stay enables students who have been exposed to COVID-19 — but are asymptomatic — to test each day before going into school instead of having to quarantine. The initiative helps keep kids in school and reduces interruptions to learning. Test to stay will be expanded to East Providence, Smithfield, North Smithfield, Barrington, Tiverton, Blackstone Valley Prep and the Learning Community.
Actions to Address Hospital Staffing Capacity
Governor McKee is also taking steps to address workforce challenges across Rhode Island’s hospital systems.
Governor McKee today sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell requesting FEMA medical personnel to assist in the State’s response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations by providing emergency staffing for local hospital systems. The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency is currently working with hospital leadership to complete the formal FEMA Resource Request process.
Governor McKee also announced that he will be forming the Governor’s Working Group on Health Care Staffing Capacity. The group will be made up of both state and private sector leaders in the health care and workforce sectors. Together, they will explore additional short- and long-term solutions to the health care staffing challenges facing Rhode Island. Additional details will be shared next week.
“Care New England fully supports Governor Daniel McKee’s newly unveiled COVID-19 protocols that will directly address the issue of community spread, during the pandemic. Care New England, as other health systems throughout the state, is dedicated to treating patients, and in many cases, saving lives. We must do everything within our power to mitigate the spread and keep Rhode Islanders healthy this winter, as we see COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalizations rise,” said James E. Fanale, MD, President and CEO, Care New England Health System.
“These actions are greatly welcomed and needed. The pandemic has driven burnout among healthcare workers to crisis levels. The situation in our hospitals remains extremely difficult — we have far fewer healthcare workers to care for patients than we did even a year ago. Many patients are presenting with more acute illnesses and conditions requiring longer inpatient hospital stays and more intensive treatment. In addition, the post-holiday rise in COVID and flu infections are putting additional pressure on our already stressed workforce. Public health measures including vaccination, masking and social distancing will help reduce the burden on the health care system and help to bring this pandemic to an end,” said Lifespan President and CEO Timothy J. Babineau, MD.
Businesses that have questions on these new measures can call the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation hotline at (401) 889-5550 or complete an electronic form at taskforce.dbr.ri.gov.
For more information on COVID-19 visit, covid.ri.gov. To book a COVID-19 vaccination and booster shot, visit vaccinateri.org.
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Statement of Bishop Thomas J. Tobin on the New Mask Mandates in Rhode Island
As it has from the beginning of the pandemic, the Diocese of Providence will continue to cooperate fully with state directives regarding the response to the pandemic. Accordingly, I encourage Catholics of the Diocese of Providence to follow state guidelines and to wear a mask whenever they are attending Holy Mass, and other church services or public programs.
At the same time, no individual should be turned away from Mass or singled out if they choose not to wear a mask. Such individuals may have good and substantive reasons for not doing so. In addition, in keeping with our approved policies, liturgical ministers (e.g. priests, deacons, ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, cantors, choir members) are not expected to wear masks while actively participating in the liturgy.
As I have done on multiple previous occasions, I strongly urge all Catholics of the Diocese of Providence (clergy, religious and laity) to receive approved vaccines as soon as they are eligible to do so. Being vaccinated is a commitment to the common good, an act of charity for our brothers and sisters, and an expression of our respect for the dignity of human life.
As we prepare to celebrate the special hope and joy of the Christmas Season, let us renew our fervent prayers that Almighty God will lift this terrible pandemic from our midst and will give healing, comfort and peace to all.
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RI Small Business Coalition concerned for burdens on small business – the Coalition’s statement:
“Today, Governor McKee took action to mitigate the rising stress on our hospital systems due to COVID-19. The RI Small Business Coalition recognizes the current health situation and appreciates the Governor working with us during his decision process.
We do not support any mask policy that puts additional burdens on our small businesses. However, we are pleased to see businesses under 250 will not be forced with a full mask mandate.
For the larger venues, where more than a thousand are together indoors, implementing a short-term universal mask policy is a measured approach.
The RI Small Business Coalition also calls on the Department of Health to improve measures that will help the health situation, such as providing test kits to small businesses, improving the availability of vaccines and testing, quicker turnaround on PCR testing, and other measures outside a potential mask mandate. We welcome a meeting with RIDOH to communicate our solutions and listen.
To our small business community, you have fought tirelessly the past two years and now is not a time to give up. We will get through this short-term bump in the road and are confident we’ll have a strong 2022 together. Thank you.”
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RI House Republicans respond to Governor’s new round of COVID mandates:
“The Governor’s new round of mandates seek to address the healthcare staffing crisis caused by his ill-advised Department of Health Regulation (216-RICR-20-15-8) that led to the termination of hundreds of unvaccinated nurses and doctors –forced to leave their profession, despite successfully tending to the COVID-19 sick for over a year. If the Governor is serious about solving our ICU bed shortage, he would see that the healthcare vaccine mandate is repealed. Rather than this Department of Health folly being remedied, the Governor has now imposed additional unenforceable measures that infringe on the people of Rhode Island’s privacy. The crisis we face is from inadequate ICU bed staffing, as demonstrated by the Governor’s letter to FEMA. Additionally, federal monies were allocated to Rhode Island that could specifically address our hospital staffing crisis. Yet, not one proposal has been offered.
Due to the Department of Health’s failed healthcare vaccine mandates, Governor McKee now attempts to force Rhode Islanders to show their proof of vaccination medical papers to their employers, and require masks to attend events or services within certain indoor venues. Many thousands of Rhode Islanders will not show their employers their medical records, nor patronize businesses if forced to don masks.
We were promised that the vaccine would return us to normal, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders got vaccinated, making Rhode Island one of the most vaccinated states in the country. This is not how people in a free society live.
To make matters worse, the Executive Order issued contradicts state law that limits declarations of a State of Emergency to 180 days. A variant, by its nature, is not a new emergency. Rather, the legislature must act to continue a State of Emergency beyond 180 days. We are a nation of laws and individual privacy, both of which the Governor disregards for political expediency.This latest Executive Order resolves the question which the Governor has continuously refused to answer for months: Under what circumstances will this state of emergency end? The answer apparently is – it won’t end.”
— The Rhode Island House of Representatives Minority Office Members: Blake A. Filippi; Michael Chippendale; George Nardone; Representative Brian C. Newberry; David J Place; Justin Price; Robert Quattrocchi; Sherry Roberts. For more information, please visit our website at www.rihousegop.org
See notes from Gov. McKee’s announcement, here: