GOOD AFTERNOON.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH ALEX WELDON
FROM WPRO WHO ASKS
WHAT IS THE
CONSTITUTIONAL FOOTING FOR
DELEGATING MASK WEARING FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH?
GOV. RAIMUNDO: MOST OF THE
EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE DONE
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE NINE OF THE
RHODE ISLAND CONSTITUTION WHICH
GIVES THE GOVERNOR BROUGHT
AUTHORITY IN A STATE OF
EMERGENCY LIKE WE ARE IN NOW.
IT'S NOT THAT UNUSUAL FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ISSUE
REGULATIONS OF THIS KIND AS THEY
COMBAT THIS SERIOUS PUBLIC
HEALTH EMERGENCY.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS
FROM
STEVEN FROM EAST SIDE MONTHLY.
WE HAVE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF
SMALL FITNESS STUDIOS THAT FALL
UNDER THE LARGE GYM UMBRELLA AND
REMAIN CLOSED.
THEY ARE DESPERATE TO REOPEN TO
SURVIVE AND HAVE ASKED IF THERE
CAN BE A SUB CLASSIFICATION IN
THE GYM CATEGORY WOULD ALLOW
THEM TO OPEN.
GOV. RAIMUNDO: A GREAT QUESTION
AND LITERALLY SOMETHING WE HAVE
BEEN WORKING ON TODAY.
THE ANSWER IS
YES, WE ARE TRYING
TO FIGURE IT OUT.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO TELL
YOU NOW.
THEY ARE STILL CLOSED AS OF
NOW
THE OFFICIAL GUIDANCE IS NO
CHANGE ON SATURDAY.
HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU
ARE SAYING AND WE ARE WORKING
VERY HARD TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT
WHICH SUBSET, HOW TO DEFINE IT
AND WE ARE UNDER DISCUSSION WITH
PEOPLE WHO OWN THOSE PLACES.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE UPDATED
GUIDANCE MAYBE I WILL HAVE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT IN A WEEK OR SO AND
WE ARE TRYING TO GET THERE.
PHIL BARTHOLOMEW HAS THE
NEXT
QUESTION.
SOME RESTAURANTS IN PROVIDENCE
HAVE ANNOUNCED THEY ARE NOT
GOING TO OPEN DURING PHASE ONE
SIDING RISKS TO GUEST AND STAFF.
ARE YOU COUNTING ON INDIVIDUAL
BUSINESS OWNERS TO ASSESS THE
RISK OR WOULD YOU PREFER A MORE
UNIFIED APPROACH WITH -- WITHIN
INDUSTRIES AND SECTORS DRIVEN BY
YOUR DECISION?
GOV. RAIMUNDO: IT'S AN EXCELLENT
QUESTION.
AT THE END OF THE
DAY, I CANNOT
FORCE SOMEBODY TO OPEN.
IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE, THEN I
UNDERSTAND AND THEY WILL DO WHAT
THEY THINK IS RIGHT FOR THEM AND
THEIR EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS
AND I ABSOLUTELY RESPECT THAT.
HAVING SAID THAT, THERE ARE MANY
PEOPLE OUT OF WORK RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE DOING A HUGE AMOUNT OF
ANALYSIS, TAKING IT SLOW, MAKING
SURE IT'S SAFE, DOING EXTRA
GUIDANCE.
I WILL SAY THIS TO
EVERYBODY, I
KNOW YOU ARE AFRAID.
I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT WE -- AS LONG AS WE GO
SLOW
-- OUR GOAL IS NOT TO LET THE
VIRUS GET AHEAD OF US BUT IF WE
GO SLOW AND FOLLOW THE NEW
RULES, WE GOT TO GET BACK OUT
THERE.
WE HAVE TO BE BRAVE
, SMART,
FOLLOW THE RULES BUT BRAVE.
THAT MEANS GETTING BACK OUT
THERE.
IN PHASE I, RESTAURANTS ARE
CLOSED ANYWAY FOR IN ROOM
DINING.
I WILL NEVER FORCE ANY
PARTICULAR BUSINESS TO DO WHAT
THEY THINK IS NOT IN THEIR
INTEREST BUT I CAN SAY THAT WHEN
IT COMES TO OPEN FOR IN ROOM
DINING, WE WILL GIVE YOU OUR
BEST ADVICE SO YOU PROBABLY
SHOULD DO THAT.
MICHAEL OF MOTIVES MAGAZINE
SAYS SMALL BUSINESSES APPROVED
FOR PPE HAVE A JUNE 30
EXPIRATION DEADLINE WITHOUT
CONGRESSIONAL ACTION.
THEY DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT
THEY CAN REOPEN BY THEM.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST ESTIMATE OF
WHAT JULY MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR
BARS AND DINING RESTAURANTS?
COULD THEY BE AT FULL CAPACITY?
GOV. RAIMUNDO: IT'S POSSIBLE.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY IN THE
FIRST WEEK OF MAY WITH THE LAST
WEEK OF JULY WILL LOOK LIKE.
THIS THING CHANGES DAILY AND
WEEKLY.
IT'S PROBABLY UNLIKELY BUT I
DON'T KNOW.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON OUR
EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S WHY IN THE BEGINNING, WE
REALLY WANT TO TAKE IT SLOW.
IF THE EXPERIENCE IS
SUCH THAT
WHEN WE ARE ALL GOING OUT AND
RESTAURANTS ARE AT 50% CAPACITY
AND WE ARE NOT SEEING AN
INCREASE, THEN IT WILL GIVE US
CONFIDENCE TO RELAX.
I CANNOT HONESTLY GIVE YOU AN
ESTIMATE NOW BECAUSE IT DEPENDS
ON WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE IN A
MONTH FROM NOW.
TED NISI OF WPRI
12 SAYS SOME
BUSINESSES WANT TO REOPEN IN
PHASE BUT CLAIMED THEIR
EMPLOYEES SAY THEY WON'T COME
BACK BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING
MORE MONEY ON UNEMPLOYMENT.
IS THAT ALLOWED AND WHAT SHOULD
EMPLOYERS DO IN THIS SITUATION?
GOV. RAIMUNDO: IT'S A REAL
ISSUE.
I WANT TO BE CAREFUL HERE
BECAUSE I AM SO DEEPLY GRATEFUL
TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
AND OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
ARE MOVING QUICKLY TO EXPAND
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND
IT'S SAVING RHODE ISLAND.
ON THE FLIPSIDE, THE ADDITIONAL
$600 CHECK WHICH WAS WELL
INTENDED IS A FACTOR.
IT RELATES TO WHAT YOU SAY IN IT
DOES EXPIRE.
WHEN THAT GOES AWAY, THE
CALCULATION WILL CHANGE FOR
PEOPLE.
HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY --
DO THE RIGHT THING.
IT DOES FRUSTRATE ME
THAT THIS
WAS AN INITIATIVE INTENDED TO
HELP PEOPLE GET BACK ON THEIR
FEET.
IT WAS NOT AN INITIATIVE FOR
FOLKS TO MAKE MORE STAYING HOME
AND THAT HURTS THEIR BUSINESS.
THAT WAS NEVER THE INTENT.
IN THE LONG RUN, YOU WANT YOUR
JOB TO BE THERE.
IF YOUR EMPLOYER IS REOPENING, I
WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO WORK WITH
YOUR EMPLOYER AND GET YOUR JOB
BACK.
THERE IS ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO
IS HELP
BUSINESSES FIND EMPLOYEES.
WE ARE USING SKILLS FOR RHODE
ISLAND'S FUTURE, WE ARE DOING A
LOT OF MATCHING, TRYING TO TRAIN
EMPLOYEES AND WORK WITH
EMPLOYERS BUT I CANNOT DENY THAT
WHAT YOU SAY IS A FACT IN WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN THE LABOR MARKET.
IT'S NOT JUST IN RHODE ISLAND,
IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER AMERICA.
THERE IS A QUESTION POSED TO
THE GOVERNOR AND DR. ALEXANDER
SCOTT -- WHAT KIND OF GUIDANCE
ARE YOU GETTING FROM THE
COMMISSION ON HEALTH ADVOCACY
ESTABLISHED TO ADVISE YOU ON
RACIAL, ETHNIC, CULTURAL AND
SOCIOECONOMIC HEALTH DISPARITIES
ON YOUR REOPENING PLAN?
DR. ALEXANDER SCOTT
: WE
ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE
LEADERS OF THE COMMISSION ON
HEALTH ADVOCACY AND EQUITY SO
THAT WE CAN ASSESS TOGETHER WAYS
TO PLACE A RACIAL
INEQUITY LENS
UNTO EVERY ELEMENT OF OUR
REOPENING.
WHEN THE GOVERNOR WALKED THROUGH
THE TRIGGERS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR
MOVING INTO PHASE ONE, IT WAS
THAT EFFORT THAT HELPED LEAD TO
WHY ONE OF THEM INCLUDES MAKING
SURE WE HAVE THE CAPACITY NEEDED
IN OUR COMMUNITIES
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
COVID-19.
WE ALSO WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK
TOGETHER ON HOW WE CAN
INCORPORATE THAT LENS
INTO OUR
REOPENING.
WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THINKING
ABOUT HOW TO MAKE SURE
BUSINESSES WITHIN COMMUNITIES
HARDEST HIT ARE ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE AND ENGAGE WITH US
IN THE REOPENING PROCESS.
WE WILL WANT THE COMMISSION FOR
HEALTH ADVOCACY AND EQUITY TO
CONTINUE TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE,
KNOWING HOW CRITICAL IT IS TO
MAKE SURE THAT ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THIS, WE HAVE COMMUNITIES IN
EVERY ZIP CODE IN RHODE ISLAND
WHO HAVE BOUNCED FORWARD TO BE
STRONGER, MORE ECONOMICALLY
RESILIENT AT THE END OF THIS
PANDEMIC SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE
PREPARED GOING FORWARD TOGETHER.
HOW MANY TRAVELERS ENTERING
RHODE ISLAND ON THE MANDATORY 14
DAY QUARANTINE HAVE TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19?
DR.
SCOTT: THAT WAS SIMILAR TO A
QUESTION ABOUT HOW MANY
OUT-OF-STATE VISITORS WERE
HOSPITALIZED.
WE ARE STILL CULLING THAT DATA.
IT REQUIRES US TO GO BACK
THROUGH EVERY SINGLE
HOSPITALIZATION.
THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND IT BUT
MY UNDERSTANDING, PARTICULARLY
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELED AND
NEEDED TO QUARANTINE, THAT THAT
NUMBER IS RELATIVELY LOW.
THE QUARANTINE PROCESS IS
CRITICAL AND ALLOWS US TO HELP
MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE CAN
MONITOR AT HOME, NOT IN THE
PUBLIC SETTING, BEFORE SYMPTOMS
DEVELOP AND THEN WE CAN WORK
TOWARD GETTING THEM TESTED.
THE NUMBER THAT WE WILL HAVE
WHICH WILL WORK TOWARD OBTAINING
, WILL BE AMONG PEOPLE WHO WERE
UNLIKELY TO TRANSMIT THE VIRUS
TO ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE THEY
WERE FOLLOWING A PROCESS
APPROPRIATELY AND THAT AT ALL
TIMES IS THE KEY.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
SOMEONE DOES NOT TRANSMIT
COVID-19 TO THE NEXT INDIVIDUAL
BY DOING THE SOCIAL DISTANCING,
WEARING THE MASK, QUARANTINING
AND RETURN FROM TRAVEL AND
WASHING THEIR HANDS REGULARLY.
G ANOTHER QUESTION
ABOUTYMS -
WHEN WILL THEY BE ABLE TO REOPEN
AND WHAT RULES WILL THEY NEED TO
FOLLOW?
GOV. RAIMUNDO: GYMS WE ARE
TARGETING FOR PHASE TWO.
IT'S MORE COMPLICATED WITH
EQUIPMENT AND SANITIZING THE
EQUIPMENT.
IN AN IDEAL
WORLD, WE THINK
PHASE II WILL BE ABOUT 14 DAYS
FROM PHASE ONE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT RULES THEY
WILL FOLLOW.
WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT
GUIDANCE BUT IT WILL BE MUCH AS
YOU WOULD EXPECT, MORE SOCIAL
DISTANCING, LIMITED CAPACITY,
PERHAPS LIMITS ON THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE IN THE GYM AT ANY ONE
TIME, EXTREME CLEANING PROTOCOLS
ETC..
CAN CHURCHES
OPEN SUNDAY FOR
MASS ON MOTHER'S DAY?
WHY NOT LET CHURCHES
CONDUCT
SERVICES OUTSIDE OR LEAVING
EXTRA SPACE IN THE PEWS AND WHY
AREN'T CHURCHES CONSIDERED AN
ESSENTIAL BUSINESS.
GOV. RAIMUNDO: WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING AN AWFUL LOT TO ALL
FAITH LEADERS.
I DECIDED TO GO FOR NOW
WITH
FIVE PEOPLE.
YOU CAN HAVE FIVE PEOPLE IN A
CHURCH OR SYNAGOGUE AND
BROADCAST THAT.
YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO THE DRIVE
THROUGH SERVICES.
AND SOMETHING MORE WILL COME
SOON.
EVERYTHING I KNOW SAYS TAKE IT
SLOW.
IT IS SO MUCH BETTER TO GO SLOW
AND GEAR UP THAN TO GO TOO FAST
AND PULL BACK.
IF THAT MEANS WAITING ANOTHER
COUPLE OF WEEKS, AS HARD AS THAT
IS, I HAVE DECIDED IN
CONSULTATION WITH MANY LEADERS
IN THE FAITH COMMUNITY THAT
THAT'S PROBABLY THE RIGHT WAY TO
GO.
AS THE DOCTOR MENTIONED
EARLIER, TO RESIDENTS OF THE
VETERANS HOME WHO HAVE TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 HAVE DIED.
STAFF MEMBERS HAVE SAID THERE IS
A SHORTAGE OF WORKERS AND PPE
THERE.
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF
RESOURCES AT THE HOME RIGHT NOW?
DR. SCOTT: IT'S DEFINITELY A
PLACE WE ARE FOCUSED IN TERMS OF
MAKING SURE THE ADEQUATE PPE IS
THERE AND WE ARE RESPONDING TO
THE STAFFING NEEDS.
SOMETIMES, IT CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY
IN THE MESSAGE CAN COME THROUGH
THAT SOMEONE ISN'T AVAILABLE TO
COME IN FOR THEIR SHIFT BUT THEN
WORK IS DONE IN COLLABORATION
AND THEY ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS
THAT.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE IN
CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE
VETS HOME ABOUT AS WELL AS THE
OTHER NURSING FACILITIES, TO
HELP SUPPORT THEM IN COMING UP
WITH A SOLUTION FOR STABLE
STAFFING.
I REALLY CREDIT OUR TEAM THAT
THE GOVERNOR REFERENCED EARLIER
IN HELPING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT AS A STATE.
OUR PRIORITY IS THE HEALTH CARE
WORKERS IN HOSPITALS AS WELL AS
IN OUR CONGREGATE CARE SETTINGS,
NURSING HOMES.
THEY KNOW AND WE ARE QUICK TO
RESPOND WHEN ADDITIONAL PPE IS
NEEDED THAT WE GET IT TO THEM SO
THAT'S BEEN OUR FOCUS.
THE 10,530 CASES OF COVID-19,
ARE THEY ALL TEST CONFIRMED
CASES?
IS THERE ANY USE OF PRESUMED
POSITIVE COVID CASES ON THE DATA
DASHBOARD?
THESE
ARE THE 10,530 CASES WE
HAVE TESTED THAT WE KNOW OF.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO USE
THAT MESSAGE TO SAVE THERE IS
ANYONE OUT THERE WITH SYMPTOMS
OF ANY KIND, KNOWING IT CAN BE A
WIDE VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS FOR
COVID-19, PLEASE, DO NOT
HESITATE TO GET TESTED SO WE CAN
SUPPORT YOU.
THAT IS WHEN THE TEST WORKS THE
BEST.
THE MESSAGE STAYS THE SAME.
WHEN YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS AND YOU
GET TESTED, THAT GIVES US THE
MOST ACCURATE RESULTS FOR BEING
ABLE TO RESPOND AND HELP YOU GET
ISOLATED AND YOUR CONTACTS GET
QUARANTINED AND STOP THE SPREAD
OF THE VIRUS TO OTHER PEOPLE
KNOWINGLY OR UNKNOWINGLY.
THERE IS NO LONGER A REFERENCE
TO PRESUMED POSITIVES.
FOUR CASES WAS EARLY ON IN OUR
STATE HEALTH LABORATORIES HAVE
DONE THE VALIDATION PROPHECIES
IMMEDIATELY VERY EARLY ON.
EVERY CASE THAT WE HAVE IS A
POSITIVE CASE BASED ON OUR
LABORATORY IDENTIFICATIONS.
A SIMILAR
NOTE AND QUESTION
-- WE HEAR EVERY DAY ABOUT
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS AT THE
VETERANS HOME.
AS WE SEE A CONSISTENT MAJORITY
OF DEATHS HAPPENING IN EARTHING
-- IN NURSING HOMES IN GROUP
HOMES, WHAT SYSTEM CHANGES BEING
LOOKED AT TO STOP THIS EDDIE
TRAGEDY OF 10-20 DEATHS PER DAY
CONTINUING?
DR.
SCOTT: THAT'S SOMETHING WE
ARE ADDRESSING ON A DAILY BASIS.
EVEN AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION
WITH THE GOVERNOR TODAY.
THERE ARE ALWAYS COMPONENTS OF
ADDRESSING WAS URGENT NOW AND
HELPING TO MAKE SURE,
SYSTEMWIDE, THAT THERE IS WORK
FOR STABILIZATION.
I HAVE SHARED SOME OF THE
POLICIES AND REGULATIONS WE
REMOVED BARRIERS SO WE CAN GET
PEOPLE INTO THE WORKFORCE TO BE
ABLE TO SUPPORT.
I WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE
ANYONE WHO HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE
OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOW
UP AND HELP US IN
SHORING UP THE
WORKFORCE IN OUR NURSING HOMES
SETTINGS.
WE ARE ALSO GOING INTO MAKE SURE
THEY HAVE THE INFECTIOUS CONTROL
SUPPORT, THE PPE SUPPORT
AND
WHAT'S NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE
IMMEDIATE.
WE ALSO WANT TO LOOK FORWARD TO
SEEING HOW THE STABILIZATION CAN
OCCUR ON A SYSTEMWIDE
LEVEL FOR
THE LONG TERM IN RHODE ISLAND.
COVID-19 IS HERE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S
CRITICAL BECAUSE WE HAVE
MEDICALLY AND PHYSICALLY FRAGILE
COMMUNITIES IN CONGREGATE
SETTINGS.
WE WANT TO APPLY ALL OF THE
ELEMENTS OF WHAT WE ARE DOING
FOR THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM
TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A
SYSTEMWIDE RESPONSE THAT HELPS
ADDRESS THIS ONGOING CHALLENGE.
OUR LAST QUESTION IS FROM
MARY MCDONALD AT THE PROVIDENCE
BUSINESS NEWS.
SEVERAL RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE
SHOWING A HIGH RATE OF
INFECTION.
GREENVILLE AND BURGERVILLE,
WHAT'S THE CAUSE OF THIS?
DR. SCOTT: WE RELAYED THIS
MEASURED EARLY ON.
COVID-19 IS NOT LOOKING TO ONLY
OCCUR IN CERTAIN AREAS.
IT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT BORDERS
BETWEEN CITIES OR TOWNS.
IT LOOKS TOWARD PEOPLE WHO ARE
OLDER OR WHO HAVE UNDERLYING
ILLNESSES AND COMMUNITIES THAT
MAY BE MORE VULNERABLE TO THAT
BECAUSE OF CHALLENGES WITHIN
THEIR COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED TO
ADDRESS BUT WE ARE SEEING
COVID-19 IMPACTS PEOPLE OF ALL
AGES AND IN EVERY ZIP CODE
AND
ALL COMMUNITIES.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PLACE A
LENS ON EACH COMMUNITY TO HELP
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S NEEDED AND
MAKE SURE ACCESS TO TESTING IS
THERE AND THE SERVICES ARE THERE
FOR EACH COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE SHARING THE
DATA ON ZIP CODES SO THAT WE CAN
PARTNER TOGETHER ON BEING ABLE
TO ADDRESS THAT AND HELP KEEP
OUR HANDS WRAPPED AROUND
COVID-19 AS A STATE.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR.