As Rhode Island continues to be the most successful state in the country when it comes to COVID-19 testing and containment, Governor Gina Raimondo is warning residents to steadfastly follow guidelines for social distancing and mask wearing. Raimondo said on Wednesday that over 90% of residents are following the rules. However, congregating in large groups in parks and beaches continues to be an issue. The governor cautions that "we need to do better" and that closing beaches "is not off the table" if necessary.
With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, Raimondo reminded Rhode Islanders not to hold or attend large gatherings which exceed current crowd limits.
Another area of concern, says Governor Raimondo is with bars and restaurants. Recent inspections revealed 18% of businesses in those categories failing to adhere to rules for social distancing and wearing masks. Several states have recently had to reverse their reopenings of bars and restaurants. Raimondo says that if Rhode Island's COVID-19 statistics begin to take a turn for the worse, she may need to do the same.
The governor says that fines and other penalties will become part of the state's enforcement efforts in July, noting that her administration has invested a considerable amount of time and energy into making sure businesses are aware of the rules.
- COVID-19 Data for Wednesday 7/01
- New cases: 27
- New fataities: 6
- Tests on Tuesday: 1,829
Photo credit: WJAR-TV video