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Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has signed an executive order requiring cloth face coverings to be worn in public places. She made the announcement during her daily news briefing on Tuesday.
Raimondo said the requirement goes into effect on Friday.
“I fully recognize this is going to be awkward, strange, and some people will think it’s not necessary,’ Raimondo said. ‘But the virus spreads pretty quickly. If you cover your nose and your mouth, it does have a significant impact on reducing the spread of the disease.”
While details of the executive order are still being determined, Raimondo says young children, people with underlying health conditions, and developmentally-challenged individuals will be exempt from the mask-wearing requirement. Violators will be fined.
“The best way to get through this is to really accept that the virus is here to stay with us for at least a year until there’s a vaccine or a therapy’ Raimondo said. ‘Accept that we’re going to have to live with new restrictions that none of us really like. Don’t fight that fact.”
Raimondo says the sooner Rhode Islanders become used to wearing cloth face coverings on a regular basis, the better.
“If we’re going to get our economy going again and our kids back to school and get out of our homes and go to the beach this summer, we have to embrace new ways of living of life so we can live with the virus. That means being creative and being flexible about how we live our lives and run our businesses.”
The Governor says she’ll plans to announce new statewide travel restrictions on Thursday. One thing that likely won’t change is the 14-day self-quarantine requirement for out-of-staters traveling to their summer homes in Rhode Island.
“I realize it’s an inconvenience,’ Raimondo said. ‘If you have a second home here, we would love for you to come here. But at this point in time, the 14-day quarantine remains in effect.”
Raimondo says Rhode Island will continue to have a system in place to support at-risk communities for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. The state is in the process of developing a one-stop phone app that will allow residents in need to access helpful resources.
More than 26,000 meals have been delivered daily to needy Rhode Islanders during the pandemic. Nearly three-million pounds of food have been distributed through the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. That’s an increase of 40-percent from this time last year.
“Our partnerships with organizations like the Food Bank, United Way, and Meals on Wheels have been really important,’ Raimondo said. ‘We’re not going to pull up the drawbridge in a month or two. We’re going to make sure people have the support they need probably for the next year.”
The Governor also says the state will be expanding some public services starting next week. That includes a re-opening of one satellite DMV office later this month. Currently, only the Cranston DMV site is open to the public.
On Tuesday, Rhode Island reported 14 new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the state’s total number of fatalities to 355. There were 281 new positive cases, 327 people hospitalized with COVID-19, and 89 people in intensive care. In total, 9,933 people in Rhode Island have tested positive for COVID-19.
Joe Tasca can be reached at jtasca@ripr.org