Facing pressure from business community, municipal leaders eager to end emergency declaration

Nancy Lavin

March 9, 2021 10:18 am

NORTH PROVIDENCE MAYOR Charles Lombardi is among state municipal leaders pushing to end the year-long emergency declaration that started on March 9, 2020. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO — NORTH PROVIDENCE MAYOR Charles Lombardi said that municipal leaders around the state have felt pressure from the business community to reopen. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – One year after former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo declared a state of disaster emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic, some have grown weary of the seemingly everlasting crisis and are pushing to lift the declaration and ease restrictions. The state emergency declaration, which has been renewed on a monthly basis since its March 9…