PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island expects to allow all residents aged 16 and older to register for a vaccine for COVID-19 by April 19, Gov. Daniel J. McKee said Thursday, reflecting the larger amounts of vaccine anticipated to arrive in the state within weeks.
The move to allow younger Rhode Islanders to access vaccines by May 1 is in keeping with President Joe Biden’s directive to states to have all residents vaccinated with a first dose by that time.
“If Rhode Island can get the vaccine supply we need we can achieve and beat this goal,” McKee said. “This is why our state is focused on increasing the state’s vaccination capacity.”
The state now has the capacity to vaccinate 100,000 people a week, he said, but has not received that amount as yet. It is continuing to receive about 47,000 doses a week, but by next week, that will start to increase to about 50,900, according to public health officials. They expect the numbers to continue to rise, particularly in Johnson & Johnson doses.
The last opening of vaccine eligibility, last Friday, added another 150,000 Rhode Islanders to the pool of people now waiting for vaccines. The state understands, according to Tom McCarthy, the R.I. Department of Health COVID-19 administrator, that this has created a backlog of people who want the shots and are already eligible.
But he and other state officials said that with additional supply, they anticipate being able to expand the capacity of the state to accelerate its vaccination.
The state is continuing to reopen its economy, allowing businesses to add more capacity and increase event sizes, under the guidelines announced last week.
The state, to date, has fully vaccinated about 12% of its population, according to Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the R.I. Department of Health.
As of Thursday, 182,304 people in the state had received a first dose and 136,515 had received either both doses, or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to Scott.
The state’s public health officials continue to track infections and are wary about the variants that are more transmissible. Infections in Rhode Island have plateaued, Scott acknowledged, with the most recent data showing a per-capita infection rate of about 209 per 100,000 people, about the same as was seen in early October, and well above the low point last summer.
Nevertheless, state officials are pushing ahead with reopening Rhode Island’s economy.
As of Friday, indoor dining, catered events and houses of worship can open to 75% of their capacities, while personal care salons and gyms, as well as offices, can open to 50% capacity.
Public health officials also announced that in addition to CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens, select locations of Stop & Shop and Walmart in Rhode Island will start offering vaccinations. Stop & Shop plans to offer at 14 of its pharmacy locations in Rhode Island the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single-dose. It will be available only at the pharmacies at 622 George Washington Highway, Lincoln; at 595 Smithfield Road, North Smithfield; at 2470 Warwick Ave., Warwick; and at 1925 Pawtucket Ave., East Providence.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
