CDC moves 4 Rhode Island counties into 'high' risk level for COVID-19
by KATIE BENOIT, NBC 10 NEWS
Thu, May 19, 2022 at 6:38 PM
The state Department of Health said Thursday that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated theCOVID-19 community levels in four Rhode Island counties as "high." They are Bristol, Kent, Providence and Washington counties. The community level remained at "medium" in Newport County.
One of the CDC's recommendations is to wear a mask indoors in public in areas with a "high" community level.
Public health officials say Rhode Island has been seeing an increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
"Things have gotten considerably more intense over the last couple of weeks," said Dr. Michael Fine, the chief health strategist in Central Falls and a former director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Health Department data show the state has a three-day average of more than 850 new COVID-19 cases.
Those numbers are similar to what was being reported at the beginning of February.
"I suspect that we gave up masking and social distancing with too much enthusiasm," Fine said.
Fine said positivity rates in the city are at more than 25% and the rest of the state could soon be following.
He said despite high vaccination rates, immunity is starting to decline, even with boosters. Fine said anyone over the age of 60 or immunocompromised should be getting a fourth dose.
"If people were mostly boosted last November or December, they probably should be boosted again," Fine said.
Fine said for the next few weeks, it's time to start masking up again and avoiding big indoor events.
"Everybody ought to think twice about those situations when you're in a room with 60, 70 people, having a good time, that's the way the virus is spread," Fine said.
Some Rhode Islanders agree and have been continuing to wear their masks in places like the grocery store.
"We don't want to get it. We have been OK for two years now. Just to keep safe, I think inside sometimes I don't feel comfortable," said Christina Milauskas about wearing a mask in stores.
Fine said that hospitalization numbers and deaths will continue to increase, with more positive cases.
He predicts that at least 50 people in Rhode Island will die from the virus in May.
