PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island remains on target to vaccinate 70% of residents age 16 and older by May 15, according to public health officials, who said the impact of the Johnson & Johnson pause on vaccine administration should be modest.
The state is scheduled to open eligibility on Monday to 258,000 more people, who are age 16 and older, and who didn’t fit into previous categories.
The expanded eligibility means that people may have to wait for an appointment, but the R.I. Department of Health said that appointments will be available in the weeks to come.
About 16,000 new appointment will be made available on Friday night. Some may be available on April 19, when the younger Rhode Islanders qualify. And more appointments will be released on Tuesday.
Gov. Daniel J. McKee said the state remains on track, despite the unexpected hold put on Johnson & Johnson vaccines on Monday. The decision, made by the R.I. Department of Health, followed a recommendation by federal health officials after a very rare side effect was detected in seven people nationwide. The state had had a small amount of the vaccines, about 2,000, that have been put into storage.
“We are on track with our goals,” McKee said. “The J&J announcement did not deter that.”
In other news, the governor announced Thursday that the R.I. Public Transit Authority will be offering free rides starting on Monday to anyone who is traveling to and from a vaccine appointment.
The decision is intended to encourage people to get vaccinated, said R.I. Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott.
Equity-focused clinics, which are reserved for communities of color, are also another effort to increase vaccine access, Alexander-Scott said. Rhode Island, like many states, has neighborhoods and communities that have been hard hit by the pandemic that have not participated in vaccinations at the same rate as other locations.
Another vaccination day will be held Saturday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center that is aimed at the high-density communities, McKee said.
The vaccines work, Alexander-Scott said. She said among full vaccinated Rhode Islanders, only 0.1% have gone on to contract the virus. “That tells you how effectively the vaccines work,” she said.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island increased by 428 on Wednesday, with four new deaths, the R.I. Department of Health said Thursday.
Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in the state totaled 138, a rise of two day to day. Of those hospitalized, 30 were in an intensive care unit, level with one day prior, and 24 individuals were on a ventilator, a decline of four day to day.
There have been 729,096 total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the state to date, a rise of 10,381 from one day prior. To date, 316,983 people in the state have been fully vaccinated against the virus, an increase of 2,994 day to day.
Cases of the virus have totaled 143,740 in Rhode Island to date, an increase of 489 from figures reported Wednesday, accounting for the day-to-day increase, as well as data revisions for previous days.
Deaths due to the virus in Rhode Island have totaled 2,646 to date.
There were 22,673 tests processed Wednesday, with an overall positive rate of 1.9%. When excluding both repeat positive and repeat negative test results, the positive rate was 20.8%.
There have been 3.79 million tests administered in the state to date to 873,303 individuals.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at MacDonald@PBN.com.
Updates throughout to include details from the state’s weekly COVID-19 press conference.
75% then the mask mandate can go away!!!!!!!!