WILL GET STARTED WITH QUESTIONS.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND HELLO TO
EVERYONE AT HOME.
WE WILL START WITH MICHAEL
BILES.
SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH RAISES
DOUBTS WHETHER RECOVERED
PATIENTS ARE IMMUNE, OR ARE
INSTEAD SUSCEPTIBLE TO
REINFECTION OR FLAREUP OF
RESIDUAL INFECTION.
HOW DOES THIS FIGURE INTO RHODE
ISLAND'S PLANNING, ESPECIALLY
ENDING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND
REOPENING THE ECONOMY?
GOV. RAIMONDO:
IT'S AN EXCELLENT
QUESTION.
WE HAD MANY POLICY DISCUSSIONS
ON THAT EVEN THIS MORNING
BECAUSE IT IS AN ONGOING
LEARNING AS A COUNTRY.
WE TALK REGULARLY WITH OUR
FEDERAL PARTNERS -- THE CENTERS
FOR DISEASE CONTROL, OTHER
RESEARCHERS THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY.
ANY OF US ARE STILL LEARNING
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SOMEONE HAS
COVID-19.
TO WHAT EXTENT IS
SOMEONE IMMUNE
TO HAVING FUTURE INFECTIONS?
HOW WE ARE INCORPORATING IT INTO
OUR APPROACH IS DEFINITELY THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT EVEN IF
SOMEONE HAS HAD COVID-19, IT IS
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO CONTINUE
THE SOCIAL DISTANCING
REQUIREMENTS, THE FREQUENT
HANDWASHING REQUIREMENTS, AND
STAYING HOME IF YOU ARE ILL
AGAIN
, IN CASE ANYTHING ELSE
SHOULD OCCUR.
THAT SHOULD NOT CHANGE.
WE ARE WORKING AGGRESSIVELY TO
BETTER UNDERSTAND THE VIROLOGY
ARE ANTIBODY TESTS THAT ARE OUT
THERE, AND WE KNOW WE CANNOT USE
JUST ONE MECHANISM TO DETERMINE
WHAT WORKS TO OPEN THE ECONOMY.
WITH THE
GOVERNOR'S GUIDANCE AND
THOUGHTFULNESS, WE HAVE MANY
ELEMENTS THAT ARE COMING INTO
PLAY, AND IT WILL BE ONE OF
SEVERAL TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX TO
HELP UNDERSTAND THE BEST, THE
SAFEST, AND MOST EFFECTIVE WAY
TO MOVE FORWARD.
OUR NEXT QUESTION IS FOR THE
GOVERNOR, FROM MATT ALLEN.
GOVERNOR, YOU ANNOUNCED A
PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER STATES IN
THE REGION AS A WAY TO PLAN THE
REOPENING OF THE ECONOMY.
CAN YOU PLEASE EXPOUND UPON WHAT
THAT PARTNERSHIP MEANS IN TERMS
OF OBLIGATIONS FOR THE
STATE,
EFFACED FOR A DECISION THAT
MIGHT BE GOOD FOR RHODE ISLAND
BUT NOT THE OTHER STATES.
WHAT IS THE DECISION YOU WOULD
TAKE?
GOV. RAIMONDO: THANK YOU.
THIS WILL NOT INVOLVE ANY
OBLIGATION FOR THE STATE.
I THINK OF THIS IS A WORKING
GROUP, A JOINT -- ALONG WITH
HALF A DOZEN OTHER GOVERNORS IN
THIS REGION, WE CAN COORDINATE
APPROACHES TO REOPENING THE
ECONOMY.
I WILL ALWAYS DO WHAT I THINK IS
RIGHT FOR RHODE ISLAND.
I WILL MAKE DECISIONS ON THE
BASIS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
OUR STATE AT THAT MOMENT.
MY GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS HOW DO I
GET THE MOST NUMBER OF PEOPLE
BACK TO WORK AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE, AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.
OUR ECONOMY LOOKS A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT THAN THOSE OTHER
ECONOMIES.
HAVING SAID THAT, ON
THE 95
CORRIDOR, THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT
OF TRAFFIC.
WE SHARE THE AMTRAK LINE.
WE SHARE A LOT OF
BUSINESSES.
CERTAINLY, WITH MASSACHUSETTS,
WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUTERS.
IT MAKES SENSE THAT WE
COORDINATE AND COLLABORATE AND
LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.
AND HAVE A JOINT APPROACH.
I WILL ALSO SAY NONE OF US HAS
EVER DONE THIS BEFORE, AND I
MEAN NONE OF US.
I HAVEN'T.
THE OTHER GOVERNORS HAVE NOT.
THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION
HASN'T.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE
RIGHT THING TO DO, TO HAVE MORE
SMART PEOPLE, MORE DATA, MORE
GUIDANCE AROUND THIS PROBLEM, SO
WE CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.
IT WON'T OBLIGATE US, BUT IT
WILL MAKE SURE WE DO A BETTER
JOB FOR RHODE ISLANDERS.
CHRISTIAN WINTHROP OF
"NEWPORT BUZZ" ASKS WHEN YOU
MAKE THE DECISION TO REOPEN THE
ECONOMY, WHICH SECTORS CAN YOU
ENVISION REOPENING FIRST?
WHICH SECTORS WILL BE LAST?
WHAT NEW RULES DO YOU ANTICIPATE
FOR THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY?
GOV. RAIMONDO: GREAT, GREAT
QUESTION.
HERE IS THE WAY THINGS STAND.
AS I SAID A FEW THAT -- A FEW
TIMES, THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE
A MAGIC REOPENING, FLIP A SWITCH
, OF THE ECONOMY.
IT IS NOT LIKE WE WILL PICK A
DATE AND EVERY BUDDY GOES BACK
TO WORK.
IT IS GOING TO BE INCREMENTAL
AND TARGETED, AND
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC, AND THERE
WILL BE NEW REGULATIONS PER
INDUSTRY.
OBVIOUSLY, THE INDUSTRIES THAT
CAN COME BACK ONLINE SOONER ARE
ONES WHERE
THEY DO NOT RELY FOR
THEIR BUSINESS MODEL ON LOTS OF
PEOPLE BEING CLOSE TOGETHER IN
SMALL AREAS.
HOSPITALITY, RESTAURANTS,
CONVENTIONS -- THOSE ARE
BUSINESSES THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY
TAKE THE LONGEST TO BE BACK
ONLINE.
REGARDLESS OF THE BUSINESS, ALL
OF US ARE GOING TO BE LIVING IN
A NEW NORMAL, WHETHER THAT MEANS
WEARING A MASK, WORKING IN
SHIFTS.
EVERYBODY SHOULD STILL BE
WORKING FROM HOME WHENEVER
POSSIBLE.
WE ALL NEED TO START TO REALIZE
THAT FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR
SO, WE
ARE GOING TO BE LIVING UNDER A
NEW SET OF REGULATIONS.
AGAIN, MY GOAL IS THE MOST
NUMBER OF PEOPLE BACK TO WORK
AT
LOWEST RISK.
WE WILL GO INDUSTRY BY INDUSTRY
-- HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE OUT OF
WORK, HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN GET
BACK TO WORK, WHAT DOES THE RISK
LOOK LIKE, AND WHAT OF THE
REGULATIONS THAT HAVE TO BE IN
PLACE?
WE ARE HARD AT WORK ON IT NOW.
IT IS GOING TO BE
A BIG, BIG
CHANGE TO EVERYBODY, BUT IT IS
THE ONLY WAY WE GET PEOPLE BACK
TO WORK, WHICH OF COURSE IS THE
GOAL.
RICHARD FROM "CONVERGENCE
RI"
ASKS WHAT COORDINATION IS
HAPPENING WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH
CENTERS WITH REGARD TO TESTING.
DR. ALEXANDER-SCOTT: WE HAVE AN
ENTIRE TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
FOCUSED ON ACCESSING OUR
VULNERABLE POPULATION, AS WELL
AS PEOPLE IN POOR COMMUNITIES
WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE ABILITY OR
THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL
OUT TO THE DRIVE-THROUGH SITES.
WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE OUR
PARTNERS -- OUR PARTNERSHIPS
WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS TO
BE ABLE TO TAP INTO THE
RESOURCES EMBEDDED IN OUR
COMMUNITIES.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR
HEALTH EQUITY ZONES, ESPECIALLY
ONES CONNECTED TO OUR FEDERALLY
QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS, WHERE
THERE IS ALREADY A READY-MADE
INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGNED TO
ENGAGE WITH MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY WHO NEED ASSISTANCE,
OR WHO WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS
THIS RESOURCE.
SO WORK IS BEING DONE TO
ACCELERATE THAT, SO THAT WE CAN
MAKE SURE WE ARE ACCESSING EVERY
ASPECT OF RHODE ISLAND'S
POPULATION FOR THE EXPANDED
TESTING APPROACH THAT WE HAVE
TAKEN.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS FROM
IAN.
HOW MANY TESTS NEED TO BE DONE
TO MAKE DECISIONS ON REOPENING
THE ECONOMY QUESTION MARK AS
WELL, WHEN WILL THE ANTIBODY
TESTING BEGIN.
GOV. RAIMONDO: THANK YOU, IAN.
I WILL SAY THIS.
I'M NOT SURE WE NEED TO BE DOING
VERY MANY MORE TESTS A DAY THAN
WE ARE NOW.
WE ARE AT OVER 2000.
I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO 3000.
WHEN YOU ARE DOING 3000 TESTS A
DAY EVERY
DAY PER MILLION
POPULATION, THAT IS AN EXCELLENT
PLACE TO BE.
WHAT WE WILL LOOK DAY PER MILLION
AT IS HOW MANY
POSITIVES DO YOU HAVE IN THE
DAY
AS THE RATE OF POSITIVES OVER A
PERIOD OF FIVE DAYS, GOING UP,
GOING DOWN, OR STUDY.
HOW MANY HOSPITALIZATIONS DO WE
HAVE IN A DAY, OR OVER THE
COURSE OF A WEEK?
ARE WE STILL -- HOW LONG DOES IT
TAKE FOR US TO DOUBLE OUR
HOSPITAL POPULATION?
WE WERE DOUBLING OUR
HOSPITALIZATIONS EVERY FOUR
DAYS.
THAT IS MUCH TOO RAPID.
THE TESTING, NUMBERS PER DAY
--
WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE.
WE ARE GOING TO DO MORE INNER
CITIES, MORE NURSING HOMES, BUT
WE ARE ABOUT WHERE WE NEED TO
BE.
WITH RESPECT TO THE VERBAL ELEGY
TESTS, WE ARE WEEKS AWAY FROM
THAT -- TO THE VIROLOGY TESTS
,
WE ARE WEEKS AWAY FROM THAT.
WE ARE FIGURING OUT WHICH TESTS
TO USE.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO DO MORE
THAN ONE TEST FOR ACCURACY.
IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO RELY ON
THE TEST -- FRANKLY, WE HAVE TO
GET OUR HANDS ON THE TEST.
THEY WILL BE EASIER TO GET HOLD
OF THAN THE
REAGENTS AND TESTING
EQUIPMENT WE HAVE NOW, BUT WE
ARE 3, 4 WEEKS OR MORE AWAY FROM
HAVING KIND OF WIDESPREAD
VIROLOGY TESTING.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS BY STEPH
MACHADO OF CHANNEL 12.
YESTERDAY, THE GOLDMAN SACHS
LOAN PROGRAM STOPPED TAKING
APPLICATIONS FOR MANY SMALL
BUSINESS OWNERS EVEN HAD A
CHANCE TO HEAR OF IT.
CLEARLY, THERE IS A HIGH DEMAND,
AND FEDERAL LOANS ARE DELAYED.
IS THERE ANOTHER STATE PROGRAM
COMING?
GOV. RAIMONDO: THANK YOU.
YESTERDAY AT THIS PRESS
CONFERENCE, I ANNOUNCED A $10
MILLION LOAN PROGRAM FROM
GOLDMAN SACHS, AND BY THE END OF
THE DAY, IT WAS DEPLETED.
WE RAN THROUGH THE ENTIRE $10
MILLION IN A DAY.
I AM, AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT,
TRYING TO EXPAND THAT.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO
ANNOUNCE TODAY.
WORKING HARD TO SEE IF WE CAN
CONVINCE GOLDMAN TO GIVE MORE TO
RHODE ISLAND.
ALSO EXPECTING THE FEDERAL
STIMULUS TO BE COMING POINT
SOON.
THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, I AM
HARD AT WORK.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO
SAY NOW.
I DO KNOW THAT CONGRESS -- I
HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN CONGRESS,
AND BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION,
FOR EXPANDING THE FEDERAL
SBA
PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM.
THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET.
I THINK RELIEF WILL BE ON
THE
WAY IN THAT PROGRAM AS WELL.
STEVE ALTMAN OF "APPRISE
RHODE ISLAND" SAYS THE GEORGE
RILEY CENTER ASKED ME TO ASK YOU
IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON ISSUING
AN EXECUTIVE ORDER SIMILAR TO
THE ONE RECENTLY PASSED BY THE
GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN, ALLOWING
FOR THE RESTORATION OF UTILITIES
WITHOUT ANY DOWN PAYMENT.
GOV. RAIMONDO: IT'S SOMETHING I
MIGHT GET TO.
RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO NEED FOR
THAT.
I HAVE ANNOUNCED UTILITIES
CANNOT BE TURNED OFF.
I FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE.
I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE
UTILITIES CANNOT BE TURNED OFF.
BRIAN AMARAL OF "THE
PROVIDENCE JOURNAL" ASKED IS IT
TWO WEEKS AGO THAT 5 MILLION
MASKS WERE ON THE WAY TO RHODE
ISLAND?
DID THEY ARRIVE?
ARE HEALTH WORKERS STILL FACING
PB SHORTAGES?
GOV. RAIMONDO: THOSE HAVE
ARRIVED, SOME OF THEM.
MOST OF NOT.
IT IS COMPLICATED GETTING DEAR
-- GETTING DEAR -- GEAR FROM
CHINA AND ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WE ARE BETTER OFF THAN WE WERE.
DO HOSPITALS HAVE SHORTAGES?
FOR THE MOST PART, NO.
THEY CAN GET THROUGH THE DAY.
THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
THE CHALLENGE IS MAKING SURE
THAT THEY HAVE SEVERAL WEEKS'
SUPPLY ON HAND AT ANY GIVEN
TIME.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING INTO BETTER
WAYS TO STERILIZE MASKS.
FEMA INDICATED THAT EVERY STATE
WOULD BE RECEIVING EQUIPMENT AND
DOING MASS STERILIZATION OF
MASKS, IT ALLOWS US TO SAFELY
REUSE THEM.
WE ARE TEACHING CLINICIANS AND
HEALTH CARE WORKERS HOW TO
SAFELY REUSE PPE.
I WOULD SAY WE DON'T HAVE
EVERYTHING WE NEED.
I WISH I COULD SAY WE HAVE 30
DAYS SUPPLY ON HAND NOW.
WE ARE MANAGING THROUGH IT.
EVERYBODY HAS WHAT THEY NEED IN
THE HOSPITALS TO DO THEIR JOB, A
DAY AT A TIME.
PETE ASKS,
DO YOU AGREE WITH
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S
ASSERTION THAT HE WILL CONTROL
WHEN THE STATES WILL REOPEN FOR
BUSINESS?
GOV. RAIMONDO: THE GOVERNORS
WERE THE ONES WHO HAD TO MAKE
THE TOUGH DECISIONS TO CLOSE THE
ECONOMIES OF THEIR STATES.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WILL
BE THE ONES WHO MAKE THE TOUGH
DECISIONS ABOUT REOPENING.
WE WILL DO THAT IN CONSULTATION
WITH ONE ANOTHER.
WE WILL DO THAT IN CONSULTATION
WITH THE WHITE HOUSE.
MOST OF ALL, WE WILL DO THAT ON
THE BASIS OF FACTS AND SCIENCE
AND EVIDENCE, AND WHAT WE KNOW
TO BE THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR
STATES.
I THINK YOU HAVE SEEN GOVERNORS
LEAD THROUGH THIS, AND I EXPECT
THAT WILL CONTINUE.
MR. BARTHOLOMEW ASKS A
SIMILAR QUESTION.
PER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S STATEMENT
YESTERDAY THAT HE HAS TOTAL
AUTHORITY TO REOPEN THE ECONOMY,
WHAT IS YOUR ADMINISTRATION'S
POSITION ON WHICH LEVEL OF
GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE SUCH
AUTHORITY?
GOV. RAIMONDO: I HAVE ANSWERED
THAT.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS BY NBC
10 NEWS.
WHAT WE THINK ABOUT PRESIDENT
TRUMP -- WE ARE GOING TO SKIP.
SHELL SMITH
ASKS, WHAT IS
PREVENTING THE STATE FROM
REACHING ITS TESTING GOAL?
VICE PRESIDENT PENCE AND DR.
BIRX SAID MONDAY THERE ARE
MILLIONS OF TESTS GOING UNUSED
BECAUSE OF A LACK OF
COORDINATION.
DOES THAT MATCH YOUR
UNDERSTANDING?
GOV. RAIMONDO: NOT HERE IN RHODE
ISLAND.
I WAS ON THE CALL WITH DR. BIRX
WHEN THE VICE PRESIDENT SAID
THAT.
MAYBE THAT
IS THE EXPERIENCE OF
OTHER STATES.
THAT IS NOT THE EXPERIENCE IN
RHODE ISLAND.
ALSO, HERE IN RHODE ISLAND, WE
ARE TESTING OVER 2000 PERSON A
DAY.
ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, WE ARE
DOING AMONG THE MOST TESTING OF
ANY STATE IN THE COUNTRY.
AGAIN, GREAT THANKS.
THERE IS MORE TO DO, AND WE HAVE
TO GET THE HARD-TO-REACH
POPULATIONS, AND WE CERTAINLY
HAVE TO BE DOING A BETTER JOB IN
OUR NURSING ROOMS -- NURSING
HOMES AND CONGREGATE CARE
CENTERS, WITH MOBILE TESTING
UNITS.
THE NATIONAL GUARD, CVS, THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, HOSPITALS
HAVE GOTTEN US TO A GOOD PLACE
ON TESTING.
THE THING THAT I DO NEED HELP
WITH, AND I NEED MORE HELP FROM
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH, IS
CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF THE
REAGENTS.
WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT.
AT THE MOMENT, WE HAVE THE
REAGENTS.
BUT THE SUPPLY OF REAGENTS
IS
STILL A CHALLENGE.
IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR HOSPITALS
HERE.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE ALL HAVE TO
STRUGGLE THROUGH.
OUR LAST QUESTION FOR TODAY
IS FROM ALLA OF WBOB.
HE SAYS THERE IS A RUMOR THAT
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OR THE
GOVERNOR HAS BANNED THE USE OF
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE TO TREAT
COVID-19.
COULD YOU CLARIFY?
DR. ALEXANDER-SCOTT: I CAN
CERTAINLY CLARIFY.
WE WANT HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE TO BE
AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE
COVID-19, IN THE APPROPRIATE
SITUATIONS WHERE IT IS NEEDED.
I HAVE SHARED PREVIOUSLY THAT
WE
HAVE COORDINATED CLOSELY WITH
OUR INFECTIOUS DISEASE
PROVIDERS, AS WELL AS OUR
CRITICAL CARE DOCTOR'S.
THERE ARE SPECIFIC HOSPITALIZED
SITUATIONS WHERE
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE IS AT LEAST
WORTH ADMINISTERING TO SEE IF
THAT WILL HELP PATIENTS IMPROVE.
WE ARE FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THAT
HAPPENING.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE IS USED IN
THE APPROPRIATE SETTINGS FOR
COVID-19.
AND RESERVED FOR THE PREVIOUSLY
FDA-APPROVED REASONS THAT
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE IS USED FOR,
SO THAT THE PATIENTS WHO DEPEND
ON IT FOR THE FUNCTIONING AND
HEALTH STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THAT
AS WELL.