McKee Rolls Back More Restrictions As Coronavirus Cases Continue to Increase
Friday, March 19, 2021
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has made his third-round of cuts to restrictions as coronavirus cases per capita in the state move up.
McKee’s administration has now increased capacities for indoor dining and houses of worship, which can expand up to 75% capacity; catered events can have up to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors; retail shops, gyms, and personal services are allowed greater flexibility; and venues of assembly can have up to 250 people indoors and 500 people outdoors.
McKee's decision is in direct conflict with the Biden administration's guidance. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky over the past two weeks has repeatedly warned governors not to relax restrictions now as the cases have stopped declining and variants are spreading.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAnd, big backyard bashes can get big — social gatherings are increased to 15 people inside and 50 people outside.
McKee’s rollback comes as Covid ActNow — a research organization developed by Harvard, Georgetown, and Stanford universities — has found that Rhode Island has had an increase in cases per 100,000 for ten days — the longest increase in cases since October.
Rhode Island is ranked as “very high risk.” Cases per 100,000 are now at the same level as during the spring of 2020 lockdown.
On Friday, the Rhode Island Department of Health reported 423 new cases.
Dr. Micheal Fine, the former Rhode Island Director of Health, has repeatedly warned that relaxing restrictions now may jeopardize businesses being open in the summer and delay an economic recovery if we see the third wave.
Related Articles
- More Than 2,000 Rhode Islanders Have Now Died From Coronavirus
- McKee on RI’s Projected Half-Billion Dollar Budget Deficit, Coronavirus Response, Marijuana
- RI Doctor Found to Have Recklessly Exposed Patients, Staff to Coronavirus - Has License Suspended
- MA Dept. of Public Health Announces First Case of More Contagious UK Strain of Coronavirus
- New Asymptomatic Coronavirus Testing Site to Open in Warwick
- WATCH LIVE: McKee, Raimondo to Hold Joint Coronavirus Press Conference at 1 PM
- EDITORIAL: With Raimondo’s Departure, Time to Hit Reset Button on RI’s Coronavirus Response
- It Will Take Nearly 2 Years to Vaccinate RI for Coronavirus, Even Doubling Current Pace
- Fung Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Raimondo in Quarantine After Another Exposure
- Rhode Island Jumps to 4th Highest Number of Coronavirus Deaths Per Capita in U.S.
- NY Times Ranks RI #1 for New Coronavirus Cases, More Confusion with Vaccination Program
- First Case of Brazilian Strain of Coronavirus Detected in U.S.
- Highly Contagious South African Coronavirus Variant Found in South Carolina
- Groundbreaking Nanotech by RI Company Neutralizes 100% of Coronavirus in Under 1 Minute, Finds Brown
- RI Jumps to 3rd Highest Coronavirus Death Rate Per Capita, 50% Higher Than U.S. Average
- McKee Finds Rhode Island at Crossroads in Battle Against Coronavirus
- RI’s Coronavirus Reality and Raimondo’s National PR — How RI Lost the War — A GoLocal Film
- McKee Announces Rollback of More Coronavirus Restrictions, Dr. Fine Warns It Is Too Early
- RI Reports 90 New Coronavirus Deaths — Raising Questions About RIDOH Data
- UPDATED: PC Announces New Coronavirus Restrictions As Cases Increase
- RI Lifts Some Coronavirus Restrictions as Contagious Variants Come to U.S.
- Shelter-in-Place Ordered for Salve Regina Community Following 30+ Coronavirus Cases in 7 Days
- New Coronavirus Mutation Is Both More Deadly and More Contagious - Nick Landekic
- Warwick, Central Falls Bars Hit With $1,700 in Coronavirus Citations
- It’s Clear It’s Still Dangerous: Italy’s Coronavirus Cases Nearly Double in Last Month
- Raimondo Under Attack From All Directions for Failed Vaccination Program
- AARP RI Challenges Raimondo, McKee, Shekarchi and Ruggerio to “End Vaccination Chaos”
- Raimondo Administration Defends Vaccination Strategy, But Numbers Don’t Add Up
- RIPTA Drivers Seek Vaccine Priority, Say No Response From Raimondo for Two Months
- McKee’s Vaccination Plan, Too Many Bosses and NEA’s Walsh Says Raimondo’s in Conflict with Biden
- Vaccine Registration to Open to All Rhode Islanders 75+ Starting Thursday, 65+ on Monday
- Reps. Fenton-Fung and Casimiro Urge RIDOH to Offer Vaccinations to Caregivers of Chemo Patients
- Biden Admin’s Pharmacy Distribution Plan Undercuts RI Priorities - GoLocal Daily Vaccination Update
- New Details on RI’s Vaccination Clinics, Continued Poor Rate - GoLocal Daily Vaccination Update
- After Two Months of Hearings, House Vaccine Task Force Has Refused to Allow Public Testimony
- Lt. Gov. McKee: “I’m Not Satisfied With Current Administration’s Progress” on Vaccinations
- EDITORIAL: RI’s Economic Recovery Is Being Sabotaged by Incompetent and Arrogant Vaccination Program
- Teachers and Communities of Color Need the Vaccine Now - Calabro
- Biden: All Americans to be Eligible for Vaccinations by May 1, Cookouts by July 4th
- McKee Announces Plan to Get COVID-19 Vaccinations to All RI Teachers, School Staff by End of Month
- We Can and Must Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy - Rob Horowitz
- 1,800 RI Vaccine Appointments Opening Up at 9 A.M. on Tuesday for Eligible Rhode Islanders
- Baker Announces All MA Residents 16+ Can Be Vaccinated Starting April 9 — 3 Months Before RI
- Fully Vaccinated People Can Gather Indoors Without Masks, Says CDC
- CVS Now Offering Vaccines in RI to K-12 Teachers, Daycare & Preschool Workers, and Staff
- State Cancels Vaccine Community Clinics - Blames Weather Distribution
- FDA Finds Johnson & Johnson Single Dose COVID Vaccine Safe and Effective
- McKee Pledges to Prioritize RI Teachers for Vaccinations; Teachers Union Applauds Move
- Luxury Apartment Tenants Get Prioritized in Providence for Early Vaccination
- McKee Moves Up Eligibility Date for 16 and Up for Vaccines, But Major RIDOH Problems Continue
