Pawtucket is Rhode Island's Hot Spot

While Providence has the most cases in Rhode Island -- 102 total cases, which is about average for a per capita ratio -- it is Pawtucket that is Rhode Island's hot spot.

Pawtucket has 6.7% of the state's population, but 12.7% of the confirmed cases.

Rich Hitting Tourist Spots

The Guardian reports:

"Resort towns favored by the rich and famous are facing a coronavirus crisis as the 1% have fled cities for their holiday hideaways.

As the rich have rushed to escape to their luxury retreats, local officials are reporting a disproportionate rise in Covid-19 cases and getting increasingly angry and worried about cases overwhelming small local hospitals.

In Ketchum, Idaho, the nearest city to the luxurious Sun Valley ski resort, Mayor Neil Bradshaw warned that the region was not the place for a “virus vacation”.

In last year’s ski season, Sun Valley had 426,500 skier days. For decades, it has been a hotspot for jet-setting celebrities and billionaires including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Zuckerberg, Marilyn Monroe and Clint Eastwood. As of Thursday, there were 351 confirmed cases in its county, which is home to only 22,000 people."

New York Being Hammered

New York, the worst-hit state, on Friday saw its highest single increase in deaths.

A total of 2,935 people have now died in the state, up from 2,373 Thursday -- a total of 562.

Long Island is Spiking

New York City is not the only place being hit hard - now, Long Island is seeing a surge.

"The number of cases on Long Island has begun to surge, testing the health-care and emergency-response systems even in some of the state’s wealthiest communities," reports the Wall Street Journal.

"In recent days, as New York City has remained the center of attention amid a national response to the pandemic, state and local officials have been shocked at how quickly the caseload is also rising Nassau and Suffolk counties, the two counties that make up suburban Long Island — with a combined estimated population of almost 3 million," according to the Post.

Numbers

711 Cases in Rhode Island

10,402 Cases in Massachusetts

14 Deaths in RI

192 Deaths in Massachusetts

277,621 Cases in the United States

7,403 Deaths in the United States

1,133,449 Global Cases

60,153 Global Deaths

239,339 Global Recoveries

Masks and Face Covers

Rhode Island Department of Health Director Dr. Alexander-Scott on Friday encouraged Rhode Islanders to consider wearing cloth face covers when in public.

A cloth face cover is a material that covers the nose and mouth. It can be secured to the head with ties or straps, or wrapped around the lower face. A cloth face cover could be sewn by hand or improvised from household items such as scarves or T-shirts. (Face covers are different than N95 facemasks.

People in the general public should not be purchasing or hoarding medical grade masks, such as N95s.) The primary role of a cloth face cover is to reduce the release of infectious particles into the air when someone speaks, coughs, or sneezes.

Cloth face covers are not substitutes for physical distancing, washing your hands, and staying home when ill.

Providence Limits Parks Usage

While Governor Raimondo has clamped down on the use of state beaches and parks, the City of Providence said in a statement on Friday that people should visit parks "within their neighborhood."

The city sent out the following:

As residents continue to use parks and green spaces across the city during this time, they are encouraged to follow the 5-person limit on all gatherings, social distance at least 6 feet apart and visit parks within their neighborhood.

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