PROVIDENCE – Cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island increased by 948 on Wednesday, with 14 more deaths, according to the R.I. Department of Health Thursday.
No additional cases from Dec. 8 were reported as of noon Thursday.
Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients totaled 466, an increase of five from figures reported on Wednesday, which at that time set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations in Rhode Island at 461. Of those hospitalized, 48 were in an intensive care unit, an increase of six from the day before, and 25 were on a ventilator, an increase of one day to day.
Cases in the state have totaled 69,247 to date, while deaths due to the virus have totaled 1,498.
There were 13,598 tests processed on Wednesday, with an overall positive rate of 7%. When excluding both repeat positive and repeat negative test results, the positive rate was 28.3%. It is the 16th consecutive day, and 26th day out of the last 29 in which the first-time positive rate has exceeded 20% in the Ocean State.
There have been 1.69 million tests administered in the state to date to 568,204 individuals.
Also on Thursday, the R.I. Department of Administration announced that director Brett Smiley tested positive for COVID-19. The department said Smiley, who has been working from home for the past week, was informed on Dec. 7 that a close contact tested positive. Smiley has had no close contacts within state government and does not have symptoms, the department said. He will continue to work and isolate at home per RIDOH guidance.
(SUBS last paragraph with Smiley testing positive for COVID-19.)
