I
AM HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY
TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS WITH
RHODE ISLAND.
WE WILL BE HERE EVERY DAY AT
1:00 EXCEPT ON WEDNESDAY WE WILL
BE HERE AT 2:30.
WE BEGIN AS WE ALWAYS DO WITH
HAVING A QUICK LOOK AT THE DATA
WHICH SHOULD BE UP ON YOUR
SCREEN BY NOW.
SOME GOOD NEWS.
WE HAVE 121 NEW
CASES.
THAT IS A NICE DROP.
I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE DAY
WHERE WE WOULD BE SEEING A DROP.
THAT IS A GOOD THING.
SADLY, ANOTHER SEVEN DEATHS.
EVERY ONE OF THOSE IS
SIGNIFICANT.
OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE HOLDING
STEADY.
WE ARE FOLLOWING THE RULES.
WE NEED TO STAY AT THIS.
CONSTANT HANDWASHING IS HERE TO
STAY FOR A WHILE.
KEEPING YOUR CONTACT TRACING
NOTEBOOK.
I AM HOPING BY NOW THIS IS A
PART OF THE WAY WE LIVE LIFE.
YOU DON'T LEAVE HOUSE WITHOUT
YOUR PHONE.
AND WITHOUT SOME HAND SANITIZER
AND A MASK.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE YOUR
HOUSE IF YOU OR EVEN A LITTLE
BIT SICK.
WE WILL BE LIVING WITH THIS
VIRUS FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG.
THIS IS LIFE.
THE QUICKER
WE FOLLOW THE RULES
AND LIVE LIFE THIS WAY, THE
BETTER WE WILL ALL BE.
WE HAD A
GOOD WEEKEND.
PARTS WERE OPEN.
THERE WAS NOT A GREAT DEAL OF
CROWDING.
WE HAD EXCELLENT
COMPLIANCE IN
RETAIL SHOPS, PARTICULARLY WITH
MASK WEARING.
RETAILERS ARE REALLY ADAPTING TO
THIS NEW WAY.
THEY ARE ENABLING TOUCHLESS
PAYMENT.
I HAVE A HANDFUL OF
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
ONE OF THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS
RELATES TO OUR BEACHES.
I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE BEACH
ON MEMORIAL DAY SINCE I WAS TWO
YEARS OLD.
GOING TO THE BEACH AS PART OF
WHO WE ARE.
IT IS A SPECIAL WEEKEND IN OUR
STATE.
WE ARE STILL IN PHASE ONE AND
GOING SLOW AND STEADY.
ON MEMORIAL
DAY, WE WILL BE
OPENING TO STATE BEACHES.
IT IS NOT OPENING IN A
WAY YOU
WOULD TYPICALLY THINK OF
OPENING.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO BEACHES.
THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPOTS WILL
BE SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITED.
REGULATIONS WILL BE OUT LATER
THIS WEEK ONLINE.
YOU CAN EXPECT REDUCED PARKING.
THE BATHROOMS AND SHOWERS AND
CHANGING ROOMS WILL BE CLOSED.
THE CONCESSION STANDS WILL BE
CLOSED.
THERE WILL NOT BE LIFEGUARDS.
YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY.
THIS IS A VERY LIMITED REOPENING
OF THESE TWO BEACHES.
IF YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY HAVE
TRADITION OF GOING TO THE BEACH
ON MEMORIAL DAY, YOU CAN STILL
DO THAT.
YOU CAN GO FOR A WALK AND TAKE
THE KIDS FOR THE BEACH, PUT YOUR
FEET IN THE WATER.
BUT IT WILL BE A VERY LIMITED
WAY.
ALL OF OUR STATE PARKS ARE OPEN.
WE ENCOURAGE
YOU TO TAKE YOUR
FAMILY FOR A WALK.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO GO
OUTSIDE,
GET SOME FRESH AIR, ENJOY NATURE
, ENJOY OUR BEACHES AND PARKS.
SIX FEET APART.
STAY AWAY FROM OTHER FOLKS.
DON'T STAY TOO LONG.
BATHROOMS AND CONCESSIONS WILL
BE CLOSED AT THE BEACHES.
YOU CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE.
THERE IS NO PARTICULAR ORDER TO
TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENTS.
THEY ARE BASED UPON WHAT WE ARE
HEARING FROM PEOPLE.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW HARD
IT IS TO HAVE YOUR ENTIRE
BUSINESS SHUTDOWN.
WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO ENABLE YOU TO GET BACK.
THIS AFTERNOON, THE COMMERCE
TEAM IS HOSTING A FACEBOOK TOWN
HALL.
WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION AROUND
WHAT REOPENING HAIRDRESSERS WILL
LOOK LIKE WHEN WE ENTER STAGE
TWO.
WE ARE IN VERY CLOSE CONTACT
WITH CONNECTICUT AND NEIGHBORING
STATES.
ANOTHER ISSUE IS HOUSES OF
WORSHIP.
LIKE SO MANY FAMILIES, NOT BEING
ABLE TO ATTEND MASS ON A
WEEKLY
BASIS OR ATTEND RELIGIOUS
SERVICES HAS BEEN REALLY HARD.
CHURCHES, HOWEVER SPECIAL THEY
ARE
, THEY PRESENT PARTICULAR
RISKS.
RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION.
FOLKS
CROWDING TOGETHER AND
LINING UP IN A COMMUNION LINE.
LOTS OF FOLKS ARE OLDER AND
SECOND FRAIL.
MANY FOLKS ARE GETTING CREATIVE.
VIRTUAL CELEBRATIONS ARE
DRIVE-THROUGH CELEBRATIONS ARE
NOT THE SAME THING.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY
WITH A GROUP OF RELIGIOUS
ADVISORS.
THANK YOU AND ALL
OF YOUR OTHER
COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMISSION.
WE WILL BEGIN
IN PERSON SERVICES
THE WEEKEND OF MAY 30.
WE
WILL WORK THROUGH THE EXACT
GUIDELINES.
WHAT IS THE CAPACITY ALLOWED IN
ANY ONE BUILDING AT THE TIME?
WHAT ARE THE PROPER PROCEDURES
FOR HOLY COMMUNION?
THERE WILL NOT BE HYMNALS OR
PAPERS IN THE PEWS.
CHURCHES WILL HAVE TO HAVE
PARTICULAR CLEANING.
I WAS ASKED TO MAKE THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY.
WILL YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE
SERVICES IN THE WEEKEND TO
ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE?
I FEEL RELIEVED AND GRATEFUL
THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP
WITH THIS.
I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN FAITH
LEADERS.
I HAVE FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN
OUR FAITH COMMUNITIES.
I TRUST YOU.
A COUPLE OF OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I HAVE REFERENCED EQUITY MANY
TIMES.
I WILL REFERENCE IT AGAIN TODAY.
MY ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED
EVERY DAY.
EVERYONE DESERVES ACCESS TO
HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE.
NOW IS THE HARDEST TIME TO BE
POOR, TO BE LIVING ON THE EDGE,
TO BE LIVING IN A CROWDED
APARTMENT, TO NOT HAVE
HEALTH
INSURANCE, TO BE AN UNDOCUMENTED
IMMIGRANT AFRAID TO SEE WHAT YOU
NEED TO FULFILL YOUR SAFETY
NEEDS.
I ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK THAT I
CREATED AN EQUITY CONSIDERATION
WORKING GROUP.
THERE IS A WORKING GROUP ON
THAT.
THIS GROUP HAS BEEN FANTASTIC.
WE ARE BROADENING THAT GROUP.
WE HAVE BEEN
ADDING MORE
REPRESENTATIONS.
WE NEED TO BRING AROUND ALL
RHODE ISLANDERS.
AS WE EXPAND THIS WORK AROUND
EQUITY, I HAVE
ASKED HER TO LEAD
THAT WORKER.
I AM CONFIDENT SHE WILL DO AN
EXCELLENT JOB.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT AND SAY MY
COMMUNITY IS NOT REPRESENTED,
LET ME KNOW.
THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY
WILL BE
TAKING PLACE ON JUNE 2 THIS
YEAR.
THIS WILL BE A PRIMARILY MALE
BALLOT ELECTION.
TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO
REQUEST A BALLOT.
WE WANT EVERYONE TO VOTE.
VOTE BY MAIL.
IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED --
REQUESTED YOUR BALLOT, DO IT
TODAY.
TOMORROW IS THE DEADLINE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A FORM
IN THE MAIL.
SEND IT IN TODAY SO YOU CAN
VOTE.
IT IS A DISRUPTIVE TIME BUT WE
WON THE ELECTION TO GO ON.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE
YOUR MALE
BALLOT, GET IT IN BY TOMORROW.