Alexander-Scott: ‘Our approach to vaccination is working’

Updated at 4:10 p.m. on Feb. 25, 2021.

CASES OF COVID-19 in Rhode Island increased by 387 on Wednesday. / COURTESY R.I. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Islanders should be encouraged by the progress the state is making in vaccinations and in reducing infections for COVID-19, state officials said Thursday, in a weekly briefing on the pandemic.

The incoming governor, Lt. Gov. Dan McKee, said the state will continue to build capacity for more vaccinations, at both the municipal-regional and state level. The prospect of a third approved vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, means states can expect to receive more vaccination doses in the weeks ahead, he said.

“We are building out the capacity to meet the demand when the vaccine inventory builds,” he said. That will include regional sites that municipal leaders will help direct.

He did not offer details, but said once he becomes governor, the state would have a vaccine program specifically for teachers and other school personnel, as well as childcare workers.

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“I see that as a priority,” he said.

In other announcements, after taking a reporter’s question, R.I. Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor said that event planners can prepare for larger events beginning in April. 

The state expects to increase the maximum allowed from 30 people indoors and 50 people outdoors, to 100 indoors and 150 outdoors, Pryor said, although he qualified that by saying it will be dependent on the infection and hospitalization rates remaining subdued.

In the immediate future, the state will move to additional state-run sites for vaccination.

It opened two last week and will open two more state-run vaccination sites in the coming weeks, at locations in Woonsocket and in Middletown, said R.I. Department of Health Director, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott.

The state is now administering 6,600 doses of vaccine a day at state-run sites, at pharmacies and at municipal clinics. More than 40,000 appointments have been made at the two state-run sites through March 10, she said. And 20,000 doses were administered in the first week that the state turned to an age-based distribution system.

“There is no doubt our approach to vaccination is working,” she said. “We accomplished what we wanted to in Phase 1. We are well on our way in Phase 2.”

Due to steady decreases in infections and hospitalizations since early December, the state is in a position to ease restrictions on outdoor contact sports, she said.

It will allow spring outdoor, high-risk sports to resume, with some restrictions for the pandemic including mask-wearing and limits on audiences. The sports include lacrosse and spring football.

The data cited by health officials included decreases in hospitalizations.

Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in the state totaled 163, a decline from 168 one day prior. Of those hospitalized, 34 were in an intensive care unit, an increase of two day to day, and 17 were on a ventilator, an increase of one day to day.

Cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island increased by 387 on Wednesday, with 10 more deaths.

There have been 125,185 cases identified in the state to date, an increase of 467 from figures reported Wednesday, accounting for both the day-to-day increase, as well as data revisions for previous days.

Deaths due to the virus in Rhode Island have totaled 2,496 to date.

Total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the state increased by 7,843 day to day, including 6,453 first doses and 1,391 second doses. To date, 160,090 first doses and 65,461 second doses have been administered. All doses administered have totaled 225,551 to date.

There were 20,545 tests processed on Wednesday, with an overall positive rate of 1.9%. When excluding both repeat positive and repeat negative test results, the positive rate was 17.8%.

There have been 2.95 million tests administered in the state to date to 789,132 individuals.

Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at MacDonald@PBN.com.

Updated to include details from he state’s weekly COVID-19 press conference.

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