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First Case Discovered
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) announces the first two cases have been confirmed in the city of Pawtucket. The Incident Command System is established by the state government to to protect state agencies and response activities. This marked the start of the pandemic in Rhode Island.
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Governor begins to place restrictions
Governor Raimondo begins to slowly place capacity restrictions, as she shuts down in-person dining and bans gatherings of 25 people or more. The RIDOH claims that the community spread of COVID has begun. This is important because it establishes the start of statewide restrictions for those in Rhode Island.
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Stay-at-home order is officially issued
After a few days of placing restrictions, Governor Raimondo officially places a stay-at-home order, which is set to be lifted on April 13. Other state actions include limiting groups to no more than 5, and closing retail stores that are not deemed to be essential. This marks the first government mandated order, despite the restrictions that were being placed for a few days prior.
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Unemployment claims rise
According to the EDD, more than 100,000 people in Rhode Island have filed for unemployment at this point, since the pandemic has started. This is important because it shows how the pandemic began to affect Rhode Island on a large scale, as 100,000 is 10% of the state's population.
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The First Peak for Rhode Island
This day is considered the first peak for the COVID pandemic in Rhode Island, as the daily average for new COVID cases is 370 over a seven week span. As Governor Raimondo continues statewide restrictions, a demonstration consisting of 100 protestors is held outside of the State House. This event shows the beginning of the severity of the pandemic in the state.
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Governor begins to ease restrictions
The initial stay at home order is lifted by Gov. Raimondo, and the state enters Phase One of its reopening. This includes reopening nonessential retail stores and state parks, with restrictions, as well as allowing hospital to operate nonessential procedures. This is important because it shows how quickly the government responded when cases were beginning to slow down.
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Reopening continues
The state enters Phase 3 of reopening under Governor Raimondo's guidance, as she eases restrictions for larger gatherings and recreation facilities, such as gyms. Additionally, it is reported that the daily average over a seven day span is 40, which is very low comparing to the surging cases in other states. This event shows how successful the initial restrictions were.
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Death Rate Exceeds 1,000
The RIDOH reports that on this day, the death toll reached 1,001 deaths in the state. This shows how the reopening of the state in June was potentially affecting the rise of COVID cases/deaths.
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Public schools reopen
On this day, schools in Rhode Island reopen under Governor Raimondo's guidance, with most districts choosing a hybrid model, while 25% of districts opt to begin the year with distance learning. This event is important because it marks the beginning of another attempt to reopen the state. Source -
"Two-Week Pause"
Governor Raimondo announces a two-week pause from November 30 to December 13, due to record breaking increasing cases. Capacities for public establishments, such as restaurants and houses of worship, are reduced. Source -
Pfizer Vaccine is introduced
Doses of the Pfizer vaccine are offered to be administered to high-risk healthcare workers at the Rhode Island and Newport hospitals. This is important because it marks the first vaccinations in the state.
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Moderna vaccine is introduced
The first doses of the Moderna vaccine are administered to healthcare workers at the Rhode Island Hospital. This is important because it also marks the first few vaccinations against COVID.
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Vaccine efforts spread
Governor Mckee issues an Executive Order on this day, which encourages all state employees to be vaccinated, as well as encourage citizens to get the vaccine. The RIDOH is now required to work with the state on updating the outreach plan to reduce hesitancy on the vaccine.
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1 million milestone for vaccines
The RIDOH announces that the millionth vaccine dose has been administered in the state. This is important because it shows how successful the state has been with their vaccine efforts.
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Mask mandates are lifted
Following CDC guidelines, Gov. McKee announces that those who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear masks or social distance, except in hospitals, schools, and public transportation. This is important because it reinforces the slow reopening of the state.
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Most Known Cases per Capita
As of this date, Rhode Island had become the state with most cases per capita, according to the RIDOH and John Hopkins University. This is important because it contrasts the efforts of the government that had been shown through vaccination records.
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Gov. McKee mandates masks at school
Gov. Mckee makes the decision to mandate masks for all schools in the upcoming school year, in response to the Delta variant. This is important as the governor had previously said that mask mandates were up to individual communities, and not the state.
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Vaccination progress
On this day, 70% of the population was fully vaccinated against COVID, and Rhode Island was the 2nd state to achieve this along with Connecticut. This is important as it shows how successful the state's vaccine campaign has been so far.
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Breath test development
Researchers from Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital continued to develop a breath test to detect COVID, as it proved to be successful in detecting the RNA of a virus. This is important because it shows how Rhode Island was contributing to research efforts for more effective treatments/testing. -
No New Deaths
The Rhode Island Department of Health reports no new deaths since December 8 of the previous year. This is important because it marks a very important milestone that the state had been struggling with the previous year.
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School mask mandate ends
Gov. McKee announces that the the mask mandate for K-12 schools will end on this date, except for Providence + Central Falls districts, and this was due to high transmission rates and low vaccination rates. This is important because it was one of the last mandates to be removed, marking what some might have considered the end of the pandemic.
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COVID Case reports stop
The RIDOH announces it will stop reporting positive COVID cases online, due to the fact that most people were testing at home, instead of at state facilities, which made it hard to keep track of every case. This is important because it may mark the official end of the pandemic for some.
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COVID data updates from the state
The state government moves away from updating COVID data on a daily basis, and instead choose to opt for a weekly update on Thursdays. This is important because it shows that the data is no longer deemed very essential to be given to the public.
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Pandemic recovery plan signed into law
Gov. Mckee signs pandemic recovery plan into law, which includes allocating $1.13 billion for the State Fiscal Recovery Fund, and $112.3 million for the Capital Projects Fund. This is especially important because it shows how the state was prepared to help those who were greatly affected by the pandemic.
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New vaccine available
The RIDOH continues to urge people to vaccinate against COVID, as the updated 2023-2024 vaccine will be available statewide in the coming weeks. This is important as it shows how the state is still continuing their vaccine efforts, even after the pandemic is considered over for many.
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