RIDOH reports six new COVID-19 related deaths, 218 more cases

April 28, 2020 11:38 am

Daniel Hollingworth,

PROVIDENCE, RI (WLNE) – The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) reported six new COVID-19 deaths and 218 cases on Tuesday.

That brings Rhode Island’s cumulative COVID-19 totals to 7,926 cases and 239 deaths.

Of the newly reported COVID-19 deaths, 5 of the 6 were residents of a nursing home. The other death was also from a congregant care setting but it was not a nursing home, according to RIDOH director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott.

Dr. Alexander- Scott added that the age range of the new 6 deaths ranged from people in their 50s to 90s.

There are 266 people currently in the hospital, 84 of which are in the ICU and 55 people are on ventilators.

A total of 732 people in Rhode Island have had to be hospitalized for COVID-19, 466 of those people have been discharged, according to data from RIDOH.

There have been 57,693 COVID-19 tests administered in the state, according to RIDOH.

On Tuesday, Gov. Raimondo mentioned Massachusetts Gov. Baker extending his stay-at-home order until May 18, saying she hopes not to extend Rhode Island’s. She added that it would depend on residents complying with her current order that is in effect until May 8.

“We’re in a fight to bring our infection rate way down and right now we’re doing very well,” Raimondo said. “Just because we may reopen the economy with the stay-at-home order, doesn’t mean people are going to stop getting sick.”

Raimondo also said on Tuesday that she signed an executive order to “relax burdensome regulations” for health care coverage. This order prohibits insurance companies from changing a patient’s prescription coverage unless it benefits the patient. Raimondo added that this order also relaxes the referral process as no referral is needed for in-network behavioral health.

The governor announced that Survey Monkey is being used on an opt-in basis to monitor symptoms among Rhode Islanders testing positive for COVID-19.

“The name of the game here is data . . . that data is going to be like gold,” Raimondo said about Survey Monkey.

Also on Tuesday, Raimondo announced that the Rhode Island DMV is also giving extensions to expirations that are coming in May. She had previously announced extensions for expirations in March and April. This will apply to expirations in Licenses, registrations, inspections, permits, and temporary plates. She added that the DMV in Cranston remains open by appointment only and all other DMV field offices are closed.

Raimondo also noted on Tuesday the Fall River-based manufacturer “Merrow Machine Co.” donated more than 3,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gowns. The governor added that the state has ordered an additional 500,000 gowns from the Merrow Machine Company which is owned by Rhode Islanders.

In Monday’s briefing, Gov. Raimondo laid out her phased approach at reopening the state.