Rhode Island focuses on school vaccination as it starts third year of COVID pandemic
Patrick AndersonSunday will be the two-year anniversary of Rhode Island's first COVID-19 case.
The state has been through a lot since February 2020, including at least three major waves of infections and more than 3,000 fatalities.
Gov. Dan McKee, state Department of Health Interim Director Dr. James McDonald and state education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green held a news conference at the Lillian Feinstein Elementary School in Providence to discuss where the state stands in the pandemic and the future of masking mandates in Rhode Island public schools — and to encourage the vaccination of all eligible children.
Omicron fades
The number of new Rhode Island COVID cases has fallen for six consecutive weeks, and COVID hospital admissions have dropped for five consecutive weeks, according to the state Department of Health.
In the very beginning:2 have now tested positive for coronavirus after Saint Raphael Academy trip to Europe
There were 142 COVID patients in Rhode Island hospitals on Monday, compared with 612 hospitalized on Jan. 7.
Masks mandates in schools
McKee lifted the statewide indoor mask mandate earlier this month, when students return from vacation to public school classrooms next Monday they will still have to wear masks for another week. Rhode Island's school mask mandate lifts March 5.
But even when the statewide school mask order ends, some districts, including Providence, will still require students and teachers to cover their faces in school buildlings.
In Barrington:parents threaten school committee recall while awaiting mask mandate decision
Asked at McKee's weekly COVID briefing on Wednesday when the mask mandate will end in Providence schools, state officials now running the district declined to set a timeline or threshold for removing masks, but said they are "focusing on vaccines."
"We are looking into that," Infante-Green said about the mask mandate in Providence. "Right now we are focusing in on vaccines ... And any [school] who has less than 20% vaccinated, that is where we are focused."
School vaccination
Districtwide, 35% of eligible Providence students are fully vaccinated, compared with 45% statewide. And 11 Providence elementary schools are at or below 15% vaccinated.
(Nearly 80% of Barrington public school students are fully vaccinated.)
McKee and the Department of Education are calling for all schools with less than 20% fully vaccinated to host a vaccination clinic.
School leaderscautiously optimistic as McKee announces plan to lift mask mandate
"We don't think about polio anymore because we got vaccinated," Infante-Green said. "Let's do it. Let's not make COVID political."
What is holding back vaccination in some communities?
"We have a trust problem, and it is not something I can fix with one press conference," McDonald said.
Total vaccinations
For the second day in a row, McKee highlighted Rhode Island's 95% partial vaccination rate for all residents, which the New York Times ranks as the highest in the nation. The Department of Health reports 99% of adults have received at least one shot, or as McKee put it, "almost all Rhode Island adults."
Such a high rate may be surprising given the vocal opposition to some employer vaccine mandates. In late September, the Providence firefighters union said a quarter of its members were not vaccinated.
In Providence:Officers who defied vaccination, threatened with dismissal, remain for now
Asked how confident he was about the 99% number, McDonald was cryptic.
"The Navy told me they would never lie to me but the truth would change," McDonald said. "Science changed. The virus mutated, so two doses isn't enough. You need three doses."
4th dose on the horizon?
Will the state eventually require four doses for someone to be considered fully vaccinated, or periodic boosters? McDonald said it might.
"I think that depends on the new variants we see," McDonald said. "If we see variants that aren't covered very well by the vaccine, then you are going to see a periodic booster, and that's possible."
panderson@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7384
COVID by the numbers
Cases in R.I.: 355,014 (197 reported Tuesday)
Negative tests in R.I.: 7,023,874 (8,326 reported Tuesday; 2.3% positive rate)
R.I. COVID-related deaths: 3,404 (0 reported Tuesday)
Rhode Islanders hospitalized with COVID: 142 (16 in intensive care)
Fully vaccinated in R.I.: 815,064 (935,755 at least partially vaccinated)
Cases in Mass.: 1,665,586
Mass COVID-related deaths: 23,157
Cases in U.S.: 78,694,988
U.S. COVID-related deaths: 940,783