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March 11, 2022

 

Rhode Island COVID-19 Partner Update

COVID-19 Treatment Updates

Treatment for COVID-19 is now encouraged for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19, is age 12 or older, and has mild to moderate symptoms. It continues to be most important for people at high risk of becoming very sick from COVID-19. These updates are now posted on RIDOH’s COVID-19 therapeutics web page. Translations of these updates will be made available next week. 
 

High Density Community Treatment Promotion Toolkit

RIDOH has developed a treatment toolkit to help community partners more easily promote treatment for COVID-19 to people who have tested positive. The toolkit includes a poster, a handout, and links to key resources. The poster and handout will soon be translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, and French.
 

Quarantine, isolation and contact tracing updates, available online

RIDOH’s quarantine and isolation and contact tracing web pages have been updated to reflect the latest change in case investigation and contact tracing. In alignment with the recommendation from numerous national organizations, Rhode Island has shifted its COVID-19 case investigation program to focus on those at highest risk for serious illness and hospitalization.
 
The following is updated guidance and general information: 

  • RIDOH’s case investigators will continue to directly contact patients who test positive for COVID-19 if they are unvaccinated, 60 years of age and older, or  45 years of age and older and are residents of high-density communities (HDCs). (HDCs in Rhode Island include all or parts of Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, West Warwick, Woonsocket, Cranston, North Providence, and East Providence.) 
  • People who test positive for COVID-19 but are not in one of these high-risk groups will not get a call from a RIDOH case investigator but will be notified via text message. 
  • We ask that all Rhode Islanders take personal responsibility to stop the spread of COVID-19. If you test positive, isolate and tell your close contacts immediately. Close contacts will no longer receive a telephone call from RIDOH.  
  • If your positive test result was reported to RIDOH, you can notify your close contacts anonymously through the COVID-19 survey. Go to portal.ri.gov/results, enter your information to view your positive test result, and fill out the COVID-19 survey that is linked there. You can also request support while in isolation and learn about treatment options by filling out the survey. 
    • All positive test results in the State system should be reported to RIDOH. Positive results are reported by primary care providers, pharmacies, institutions that perform on-site testing (like colleges or nursing homes), labs, and respiratory clinics. If reported to RIDOH, the results will be accessible through the State results portal.  
  • Another way to request support while you are in isolation is to call 401-222-8022 or email RIDOH.COVID19Questions@health.ri.govVisit covid.ri.gov/whattodo for more information.  


Vaccine news

New vaccine materials

Do you still need your COVID-19 vaccine or your booster dose? 

To find all the ways you can make a vaccination appointment in Rhode Island, visit C19VaccineRI.org. This page also has information about COVID-19 vaccines and about getting a ride to appointments. Find a COVID-19 Vaccination Site Near You (Spanish)

If you are looking for a COVID-19 vaccine at a community site, like a school or a library, please click on Upcoming Community Vaccination Clinics. You can view clinics by city or town, date, or vaccine type. Online registration links are available at this page.

If you are looking for a COVID-19 vaccine at another site like a retail pharmacy or at a healthcare provider’s office, click on Vaccines.Gov. You can search by location and vaccine type. Phone numbers and registration links are available on this site.

If you are unable to leave your home and need to schedule an at-home vaccination, click on At-Home Vaccination. You can find phone numbers to call to make an appointment.

Vaccine myths and facts


Vaccine Myths and Facts (Spanish | Portuguese)
There is a lot of information available about COVID-19 vaccines. Understanding vaccine information helps you make important decisions about your healthcare. If you need help understanding what information to trust, try using these questions offered by the Immunization Action Coalition and the University of California San Francisco:

  • Who manages this information?
  • Is the source credible?
  • Who is paying for this project or publication and what is their purpose?
  • Is the information current?
  • Is the information supported by facts? 
Watch out for:  
  • Information that is anonymous 
  • Information that is biased 
  • Information that is out of date 
Upcoming community clinics

*For more COVID-19 vaccination clinics, please click here*

Saturday, March 12
  • South Road Elementary School, 1157 South Rd., Wakefield. 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. (J&J, Moderna, Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
  • Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex – RI Rent Relief Clinic, 182 Thurbers Ave., Providence. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
  • CCRI Newport, 1 John H Chafee Blvd., Newport. 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (J&J, Moderna, Pfizer 12+)
  • St. Peter’s and St. Andrew’s Church, 70 Pemberton St., Providence. 9 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (J&J, Moderna, Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
  • Door of Hope Church, 122 Manton Ave., Providence. 10 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. (Moderna, Pfizer 12+ Pfizer 5 through 11)
Sunday, March 13
  • Elmwood Church of God, 297 Elmwood Ave., Providence. 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Moderna, Pfizer 12+)
  • Cambodian Society of Rhode Island, 177 Hanover St., Providence. 10 a.m. – Noon (Moderna, Pfizer 12+)
Monday, March 14
  • Raices Dual Language Academy, 135 Hunt St., Central Falls. 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
  • Globe Park School, 192 Avenue A, Woonsocket. 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
Tuesday, March 15
  • Southside Elementary Charter School, 135 Prairie Ave., Providence. 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
  • Central Falls Housing Authority, 30 Washington St., Central Falls. 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Moderna, Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
Wednesday, March 16
  • Providence Children’s Museum, 100 South St, Providence. 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
  • William D’Abate School, 60 Kossuth St., Providence. 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. (Moderna, Pfizer 12+)
Thursday, March 17
  • Federal Hill Olneyville Pantry – ONB Clinic, 222 Manton Ave., Providence. 10 a.m. – Noon (Moderna, Pfizer 12+)
Friday, March 17
  • Olneyville Library, 1 Olneyville Square, Providence. 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Moderna, Pfizer 12+, Pfizer 5 through 11)
Overdose prevention and surveillance news

Opioid use disorder is not a choice or a weakness. It is a chronic brain disease that requires treatment, just like other diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Medications like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone can be used to treat opioid use disorder. Different medications for opioid use disorder work slightly differently in the brain and body. People can safely take these medications for months to years. Check with your healthcare provider about which medication is right for you.

Medications for opioid use disorder and other treatment and recovery support options:

Call BH Link 24/7 at 401-414-LINK (5465)
Call the 24/7 Buprenorphine Hotline at 401-606-5456

Want to learn more?

Find an Opioid Treatment Program
Learn about Opioids
Help A Loved One

 
Download RIDOH’s latest podcast
 
Did you know RIDOH has a podcast? The 
Public Health Out Loud podcast delves into the broader public health concerns and issues facing everyday Rhode Islanders. Podcast hosts Dr. James McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan deliver accurate, light-hearted, and informative public health updates that matter to you.


This week’s guest expert is Brittan Bates-Manni. In her role as the director of RIDOH's Medical Countermeasures Distribution Program, she played an integral role in recent outbreak responses and Rhode Island’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout. What are some of the challenges that made the COVID-19 vaccine rollout different from other emergency responses? As we enter year three of the pandemic, what does the future of the COVID-19 response look like? Download this week’s episode to find out. 


Question of the week

Q: Isn't it better to develop immunity from natural infection than immunity from the vaccine?

A: No. Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity to COVID-19 than getting sick with COVID-19.

COVID-19 vaccination causes a more predictable immune response than infection with the virus that causes COVID-19. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine gives most people a high level of protection against COVID-19 and can provide added protection for people who already had COVID-19One study showed that, for people who already had COVID-19, those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than two times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery.

All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are effective at preventing COVID-19. Getting sick with COVID-19 can offer some protection from future illness, sometimes called natural immunity, but the level of protection people get from having COVID-19 may vary depending on how mild or severe their illness was, the time since their infection, and their age.
Resources
 

Press releases from the Governor’s Office: https://governor.ri.gov/press-releases
Recent executive orders: https://governor.ri.gov/executive-orders
COVID-19 school and child care guidance: https://covid.ri.gov/parents-schools-and-child-care/
COVID-19 case and vaccination data for children and schools: covid.ri.gov/kidsdata
COVID-19 prevention guidance: https://covid.ri.gov/covid-19-prevention
COVID-19 testing information: https://covid.ri.gov/testing
COVID-19 vaccination information: https://covid.ri.gov/vaccination
COVID-19 Information for healthcare professionals: https://covid.ri.gov/healthcare-professionals
COVID-19 information for the public: https://covid.ri.gov/public
COVID-19 publications and resources: https://covid.ri.gov/public/publications-and-resources
COVID-19 information for workplaces: https://reopeningri.com/  and https://covid.ri.gov/for/business
COVID-19 resources in multiple languages: https://covid.ri.gov/multiple-languages
CDC COVID-19 information: https://www.cdc.gov/covid
 

Social media platforms:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthRI
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridohealth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RIHEALTH
Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com/agency/state-of-rhode-island/
 
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.
Copyright © 2022 The Rhode Island Department of Health, All rights reserved.


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