Your Coronavirus Update Today, Jan. 13, 2022

A white face mask with yellow straps.

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY President sending medical teams to 6 states, including Rhode Island – they are expected to be placed in the Lifespan hospital system. Announcement will be made in national press conference today at 10:30am. 4 states – Rhode Island is one – have less than 10% ICU bed availability. 100K rapid tests…

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Your Coronavirus Update – Jan. 11, 2022

A woman typing on a laptop at a conference.

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY Highlights: 1) Nursing home/assisted living visitation changes – vaccination proof or very recent negative test – 2) tests to be covered by health insurance as early as Saturday, 8 per person per month – 3) COVID could peak locally within 2 weeks – 4) $50M in RI for mortgage help for…

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Unnoticed COVID Hotspots? – Jeff Gross

Three spray bottles with a label on them.

by Jeff Gross, contributing writer With Omicron cases spiking, very little, if any, transmission sources are now talked about. It is the same old vaccinate, vaccinate, booster, booster messages, times 10. Back in the initial COVID days the supposed experts looked at transmission sources and rates of virus life on various materials for COVID –…

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Your RI Weekend Weather Wrap – Jan. 8/9, 2022 – John Donnelly

Saturday weather - screenshot.

by John Donnelly, meteorologist Saturday 1/7/22: High pressure builds in behind the storm giving us clear skies but cold air comes along for the ride. Afternoon highs around 30 from morning lows in the teens with a northwesterly breeze, dropping chills down to the single digits. Plenty of sun, but most of its energy will…

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Hope may be a powerful motivator in reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

A family sitting on a couch in a living room.

Fueled by the recently identified Omicron variant, COVID-19 surges are being seen around the U.S., and one of the reasons cited are low vaccination rates. While more than 51 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the U.S. by mid-December, and over 800,000 people having died since January 2020, people’s reluctance to get vaccinated…

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Your Coronavirus Update – Jan. 8, 2022

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RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy did not bar the state from enforcing the vaccine mandate imposed by the Health Department requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated. Eleanor Slater Hospital on Thursday reported 28 patients had tested positive for the virus, totaling about 14% of the facility’s roughly 200 patients.…

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NEW: Rhode Island COVID-19 guidelines for schools

Back to school supplies on a wooden table.

Gov. McKee and the RI Department of Education on Thursday announced new COVID-19 guidance for Pre-K-12 schools which adopts the latest CDC guidance and will protect the health of school communities while keeping students in school. “My Administration has been committed to keeping students in the classroom where they are safest and where they learn…

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Your Coronavirus Update – Jan. 7, 2022

A woman wearing a blue face mask.

(updated throughout the day) RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY Dr. Philip Chan, RIDOH, says he is optimistic we will see a steep, sudden and significant decrease by the end of January if other countries’ experiences can be used as a model. _____ COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Updates in Advance of Adverse Weather In response to the…

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