RI reports 53 new COVID-19 cases, 2 additional deaths
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — State health officials on Tuesday reported two more people have died after contracting COVID-19, bringing the total to 1,050 in Rhode Island.
The total number of positive cases in the Ocean State topped 22,000 with the Health Department reporting 53 new cases, and a daily positivity rate of 1.5%.
Tuesday also marks since months since the first case of COVID-19 was officially reported in Rhode Island.
Hospitalizations ticked up slightly to 81, of which eight are in the intensive care unit and five on ventilators, the R.I. Department of Health said.
The data comes one day after Gov. Gina Raimondo announced nearly all school districts in Rhode Island have been given the green light to reopen for full, in-person learning on Sept. 14.
Every district except Providence and Central Falls met the five metrics needed to fully reopen with all students. Those two cities did not fall below 100 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents last week, the required municipal virus rate, but can still partially reopen.
Raimondo is dedicating her Tuesday briefing to testing readiness, the third out of five metrics the state requires to be met to safely reopen schools.
