PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Health issued an update Thursday on the state’s preparedness for the potential impact of the COVID-19 virus, known as the coronavirus.
So far, 26 Rhode Islanders who traveled to China recently have self-quarantined since early February, health officials says. That’s when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began screening all air passengers who’d been to China within the past 14 days. Rhode Island health officials, notified of the residents’ arrival, explained the self-monitoring process and how to seek medical help if necessary. Six people continue to self-monitor, although the time period for three of those ends today.
The department noted that risk to residents remains low and that there has been no confirmed cases of the virus in the state to date.
Despite the lack of cases, the department advised that it is possible that Rhode Island could have cases of the coronavirus in the near future. There have been over 80,000 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide since December and more than 2,700 casualties, a majority of which have occurred in China.
“Rhode Island has been taking extensive preparedness steps over the last several weeks as the COVID-19 situation has continued to evolve internationally,” said RIDOH Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott. “Although the general level of risk for Rhode Islanders is still low and there have been no confirmed cases in our state, everyone can contribute to our preparedness work by taking simple, everyday steps to limit the spread of viruses.”
RIDOH advised employers to actively encourage sick employees to stay home from work. If an employee has a respiratory illness, the department encouraged employers to have workers stay home until they are free of a fever, signs of a fever and any other symptoms without the use of medicine for at least 24 hours.
RIDOH also advised companies to ensure that their sick policies are flexible, including permitting employees to stay home and care for a sick family member.
Companies were also encouraged to promote respiratory etiquette, including displaying posters that encourage hand hygiene and cough etiquette, as well as routinely cleaning all frequently touched surfaces, such as workstations, countertops and doorknobs.
RIDOH also provided guidelines for residents to help prevent the spread of seasonal illnesses, including the influenza virus, as well as steps to take to protect against a potential spread of the coronavirus.
The state has seen 650 flu-related hospitalizations this flu season and 11 flu-related deaths. RIDOH encouraged the public to get a flu shot, to wash their hands regularly, stay home from work when sick, get adequate rest and to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth, among other tips.
The department said that in response to the increased risk of the spread of the coronavirus, it is establishing an Incident Command System to organize and prepare for an urgent situation that would require extensive coordination. The command center includes staff from several government agencies.
The department said it was coordinating with federal officials to create a process to ensure that anyone who has been in China in the previous 14 days is self-monitoring for symptoms for 14 days.
The department has also detailed a number of other preventative measures to ensure the state is ready to respond to an incident if it were to arise.
(ADDS self-quarantine details in second paragraph).
Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. You may reach him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.
