'For 2 Weeks, Lock It Down': RI's Pause Starts Nov. 30

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island's two-week "pause" starts Monday. During this time, several parts of the economy will be shuttered entirely, while others will be strictly limited. Older students will pivot toward online learning, while the youngest learners will remain in school.

During her weekly news conference, Gov. Gina Raimondo begged all Rhode Islanders to follow the rules and stay home as much as possible during the pause, saying it's the only way to keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.

"The only option we have right now is to take this pause seriously," Raimondo said. "[For] two weeks, lock it down. Do things virtually."

Raimondo also offered recommendations for Rhode Islanders to consider before the pause starts, answering three common questions.

What should Rhode Islanders be doing during the pause?

The main goal of the pause is to stay at home, the governor said. Anyone who can work from home is asked to do so, and certain students will be learning more from home. Younger students will continue to learn in-person, and people who must go into work are allowed to do so. Visits to the doctor, pharmacy, grocery store and other essential errands can continue as normal, as well.

All social gatherings with people outside the immediate household should be completely on hold during the pause, Raimondo said, including play dates with friends, visits to family or a dinner with members of a close "pod."

"It's not OK to hang out with brother, sister, best friends if they don't already live with you," Raimondo said.

How should I get ready for the pause?

People shouldn't have "one last hurrah" party or get-together, Raimondo said, adding that doing so is antithetical to the point of the pause in the first place. This includes Thanksgiving gatherings, which she again said should only happen within individual households.

Because the two weeks will likely be isolating, Raimondo encouraged everyone to plan ahead, figuring how to keep in touch virtually with friends and family. Since gyms will be closed, as well, she also encouraged Rhode Islanders to think about ways to stay active while at home.

What supports are available for businesses?

To help businesses that will be impacted by the pause, Raimondo announced an additional $100 million in direct payments to businesses and workers to cover lost revenue. Checks will be distributed quickly by the state's Division of Taxation, and are intended to allow employers to keep paying their workers during the two weeks. A total of $50 million will go to businesses and another $50 million will go to unemployed Rhode Islanders.

Applications will open Frida and will be accepted for two weeks. To qualify, businesses need to fill out a form and self-attest that they lost revenue because of the pause. Payments up to $50,000 will be made based off tax data from the previous year.

The other half of the funding will automatically go to unemployed residents who are receiving or apply for unemployment insurance during the two-week pause. Each person will receive $200 per week, which is expected to be processed by Dec. 6.

Here's what will be open, limited and closed in the next two weeks.

Open

• Personal services such as salons
• Health care services

Limited

• In-person high school classes
• Social gatherings (immediate household only)
• Indoor dining
• Retail
• Houses of worship

Closed

• In-person classes at colleges and universities
• Offices (as much as possible)
• All bars and bar areas
• Recreational venues, including Twin River Casino
• Indoor sports facilities, gyms, group fitness facilities, organized sports (except NCAA and professional)

Gym owners have fired back about the closure, saying there is no evidence that fitness centers are a major source of spread. Planet Fitness, which has 16 locations in the state, said there was "zero data-driven evidence."

"A recent study tracing COVID-19 cases in San Diego found that only one half of one percent of cases stemmed from a fitness center, compared to eight percent at retail locations — which will remain open as we head into the busy holiday shopping season," a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Raimondo responded to the criticism, saying gyms have too many risk factors to safely stay open, including a high amount of movement within the building, the difficulty of keeping a mask on while working out, lack of windows and more.

"The CDC found ... that it's just hard to contain the disease in a gym," she said. "There's enough data in Rhode Island to show that gyms are a problem."

Rhode Island "On Pause": Read more

• Rhode Island's Hospital Reach Coronavirus Capacity
• Rhode Island Gyms, Restaurants Respond To Upcoming 'Pause'
• What To Know About Rhode Island's Latest Coronavirus Changes
  
• Rhode Island Aims To Double Coronavirus Testing By Nov. 30
  
• RI Colleges, High Schools Pivot Toward Distance Learning
  
• Rhode Island Hospitals At 97% Of Coronavirus Capacity
  
• 2-Week 'Pause' Coming To RI; Full Lockdown Could Follow