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July 2, 2021
Rhode Island COVID-19 Update (No. 76)
As of July 2, Rhode Island has 152,643 cases (including presumptive positive cases. This is preliminary data). There were 25 new cases reported on July 2. Rhode Island has had 2,730 deaths associated with COVID-19. For Rhode Island COVID-19 data, please visit the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) COVID-19 website.
  
New Updates for the Week of June 28, 2021
Testing
All state-run COVID-19 test sites will be closed on Sunday, July 4, and Monday, July 5. You can schedule a COVID-19 test before or after the holiday online at portal.ri.gov or by calling 401-222-8022. Regular hours of testing will resume on Tuesday, July 6.
New PreK-12 Health and Safety Guidance for 2021-2022 School Year
RIDOH and RIDE recently published the health and safety guidance for the 2021-2022 school year. The document serves as health and safety guidelines for operations for all Rhode Island schools. PreK-12 schools may adopt policies that are stricter than state guidelines.
CRUSH COVID App Update
If you are a CRUSH COVID app user, there is an update available for download.
Rhode Island COVID-19 Vaccination
Public Drive-Through Vaccination Clinics
Public drive-through vaccination clinics will be hosted throughout the state. Appointments can be scheduled at VaccinateRI.org or by driving up without an appointment. Only those arriving by vehicle will be accepted at these clinics, please plan accordingly.
Reminders and Community Resources
COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted on Remaining “Higher Risk” Activities
Visit reopeningri.com for a complete list of COVID-19 reopening guidance, best practices, and other information.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Recommends Delaying Travel Until You're Fully Vaccinated
CDC recommends delaying travel until you're fully vaccinated because travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. If you're not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow the CDC’s recommendations for unvaccinated people traveling internationally or domestically. Review RIDOH's latest guidance for travelers at covid.ri.gov/travel.
COVID-19 Treatment Eligibility Expands to Age 12 and Older
MABS (monoclonal antibodies) is a fast, easy, and highly effective treatment for COVID-19. If you test positive for COVID-19, are age 12 or older, started having mild to moderate symptoms in the last 10 days, and are at high risk for progressing to severe disease, immediately call your healthcare provider and ask about treatment for COVID-19. The earlier you start treatment after your symptoms start, the more effective it is, so get tested as soon as you have symptoms. Many people start feeling better as early as the next day. Find out how to schedule in-home treatment.
Learn more about treatment in English | Spanish | Portuguese.
Vaccination
Get Vaccinated
The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, highly effective against serious illness, and reduces the risk of infecting others. Get vaccinated when it’s available to you. Learn why you should get vaccinated for COVID-19 if you are eligible:
Download and share the new updated flyer English
COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
- V-Safe
- V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Through V-Safe, you can quickly tell the CDC if you have any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Masking Guidance
On June 2, Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health announced that vaccinated and unvaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks outdoors in Rhode Island.
Download and share in English | Spanish | Portuguese
Community Mask Wearing Resources
Quarantine Updates
Fully Vaccinated Travelers
If you're traveling to Rhode Island from a hot spot within the United States (US) or US territories, you do not need to quarantine or get tested upon your arrival if you're fully vaccinated.
People are considered fully vaccinated two or more weeks after they have received the second dose of a two-dose series (for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines) or two or more weeks after they have received the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.
If you're traveling to Rhode Island from a location outside of the US or US territories, the CDC requires all air passengers arriving from any foreign country to provide a negative COVID-19 test result. You are not required to quarantine or get tested after arrival in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) still encourages testing five to 10 days after arrival.
Unvaccinated Travelers
If you're traveling to Rhode Island from a hot spot within the US or US territories, you must quarantine for 10 days or provide proof of a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken after arrival or within 72 hours before arrival.
If you're traveling to Rhode Island from a location outside the US or US territories, you must quarantine for 10 days.
More information about quarantine requirements and exemptions for travelers arriving in Rhode Island is available below.
Resources for Quarantine
Public Health Out Loud Podcast
RIDOH Public Health Out Loud Podcast delves into the broader public health concerns and issues facing everyday Rhode Islanders. The series is co-hosted by James McDonald, MD, MPH and Philip Chan, MD, MS.
Recent Podcast Episode
Should the COVID-19 Vaccine be Required? And Other Ethical Questions on June 25.
For more episodes please visit PublicHealthRI.buzzsprout.com/.
The POINT Links Seniors, Adults with Disabilities, Their Families, and Caregivers to Information and Support
The Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging contracts with United Way of Rhode Island and community organizations across the state to operate a 24/7 statewide resource network – known as the POINT. This resource connects seniors, adults with disabilities, their families, and caregivers to a broad range of public and private programs and opportunities available to them. Call the POINT at 401-462-4444.
Seeking Volunteers for the Governor’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force Cross-Cutting Work Group on Racial Equity
The Governor’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force Cross-Cutting Work Group on Racial Equity is seeking volunteers! Please help us spread the word and share this invitation with your personal and professional networks.
The Racial Equity Work Group seeks to address racial equity in healthcare, advocate for criminal justice and legislative reforms, and increase the diversity in leadership roles in the 10 working groups across the Task Force Overdose Prevention Strategic Plan.
The Racial Equity Work Group recognizes that having representative membership is critical to its success. Therefore, people of color are strongly encouraged to attend meetings and become Work Group volunteers.
The Work Group is chaired by Dennis Bailer and Nya Reichley of Project Weber/RENEW. Please feel free to reach out to Dennis, Nya, or Monica Tavares, RIDOH Education and Outreach Coordinator, if you have any questions or suggested discussion topics. The next meeting will be held virtually on Zoom on June 24 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month.
RIDOH Resources
- NEW - COVID-19 Testing FAQs
- Prevent Overdose Rhode Island
- Governor Daniel J. McKee’s Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force June Newsletter: View or listen to the May Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force meeting, find new community resources, get the latest on current media campaigns, and read recent news articles and publications.
- COVID-19 Harm Reduction Resources (Prevent Overdose RI).
- Free Naloxone (Narcan®) and Overdose Prevention Training.
- Naloxone is safe and easy to use, and available for free through this Project. Visit PreventOverdoseRI.org’s Get Naloxone webpage to request a free intranasal naloxone kit shipped to your address. You can also take a brief naloxone training (English | Spanish) developed by The University of Rhode Island’s Community First Responder Program. People requesting naloxone are encouraged to take the brief online training module to learn the signs of an overdose and how to respond.
- Testing Results - Anyone who is tested for COVID-19 in the State of Rhode Island—regardless of where or how they were tested—can access an official record of their result on portal.ri.gov/results. This step-by-step guide has tips for how to use the test result portal.
Community Resources
- Rent Relief RI
- Rent Relief RI [health.us2.list-manage.com] is now accepting applications for rental and utility assistance. This program will provide rental and utility relief payments to help eligible renters maintain housing stability. This program is only for renters and their landlords, including some renters and landlords in subsidized housing programs. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through September 2022.
- THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN
- In THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN health care workers provide facts and dispel misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, an FAQ video series in English and Spanish from KFF with the Black Coalition Against COVID and UnidosUS.
- In the recent videos Carlin, Marielena, and Lupe share why as promotoras they are talking about COVID-19 vaccines and what it means to the Latinx community.
- The CDC recently launched a new drug overdose website in Spanish. The newly-launched website includes:
- The basics of the opioid overdose epidemic, including frequently asked questions and commonly used terms,
- Helpful materials and resources to raise awareness and help prevent opioid-related overdoses, and
- Patient information, such as fact sheets, posters, infographics, and conversation starters.
- FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020:
- Vaccinating Rhode Islanders Most in Need
- Pastor Howard Jenkins of Bethel AME in Providence shares why vaccines are important for all Rhode Islanders, especially those most at risk for being hospitalized because of COVID-19. You may watch and share the video here.
- HealthSource RI (HSRI), the State's health coverage marketplace, is offering Rhode Island residents more time to enroll in 2021 health coverage through a New Enrollment Period (NEP) [healthsourceri.us7.list-manage.com]. The NEP began on February 15 and was extended through August 15. This enrollment period is open to all eligible Rhode Islanders and coverage starts the first of the month following completion of enrollment
- Rhode Island Resources to Support Your Behavioral Health
- Where can I get immediate help in a mental health or substance use crisis?
- Where can I get recovery support?
Find employment opportunities at a Rhode Island workplace that has earned a Recovery Friendly Workplace [health.us2.list-manage.com] designation.
- Peer recovery support specialists are people who are in recovery from substance use or mental health conditions. Their life experiences allow them to provide recovery support to others who can benefit from their experiences. Call to speak with a certified peer recovery specialist to get support between 8 a.m.to 8 p.m. at any of the following organizations:
- Where can I get Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)?
If you are living with an opioid addiction, MAT [health.us2.list-manage.com] can help. MAT is the use of medications like methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone and is often used in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies.
- Call the Buprenorphine Hotline at 401-606-5456 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week to speak with a healthcare provider about treatment options and see if you qualify for buprenorphine over the phone or in person.
- Visit PreventOverdoseRI.org [health.us2.list-manage.com] to find a Rhode Island Center of Excellence [health.us2.list-manage.com] specialty center.
To view all past publications and to subscribe to our distribution list to receive future communications visit the COVID-19 Periodic Briefings, Advisories, and Updates webpage at covid.ri.gov/public/publications-and-resources/covid-19-periodic-briefings-advisories-and-updates.
Please contact RIDOH Infectious Disease Communications Coordinator Aaron Frechette (aaron.frechette@health.ri.gov) for assistance with educational materials and communication resources. Please contact the RIDOH COVID-19 Information Line at 401-222-8022, or email RIDOH.covid19questions@health.ri.gov, with any other questions.
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