Governor Gina Raimondo has announced 77 new cases of coronavirus in Rhode Island, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 566. The total number of deaths to date is 10. Raimondo says that the state will meet its goal of testing 1,000 people per day at its six testing sites by Thursday. At her Wednesday briefing, Raimondo asked primary healthcare providers to send their patients for testing as needed.
The governor repeated her request to all Rhode Islanders to write down every person they come into contact with, in order to track the coronavirus, should someone eventually test positive for the virus. Raimondo says that she is getting frequent questions about a coronavirus surge in Rhode Island. She says that the picture is not yet clear as to when the number of cases in state will peak, but reiterated her plea to maintain social distancing guidelines, saying "The more we do this, the better the (growth) curve will look."
The governor also announced a new food delivery service, www.RIDelivers.com . The state has partnered with local grocer, Roch's Grocery Stores to create the service. Anyone who is in quarantine and can't shop in person, can use the website, or Dial 211 to arrange grocery delivery. Raimondo also announced a $2 million short term bridge loan program available to small businesses. The loans are designed to be bridges to longer term Small Business Administration loans and federal loans. Companies in need of loans or other business help are asked to call the state's Business Help Line: 401-521-HELP.