RI's Coronavirus Restrictions End After Sunday: What To Know

PROVIDENCE, RI — It's official: Rhode Island's three-week coronavirus "pause" will end this week, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Friday. The new regulations will go into effect Monday.

The governor applauded residents for following the rules and lowering the state's coronavirus statistics over the past week.

Last week was the first time in two months that all three of the state's main data trends — percent positivity, new hospitalizations and cases per 100,000 people — all declined. While all three are still over their safe thresholds, the governor said this was very heartening to see, and that the state's hospitals are not expected to be overrun before the end of the year.

"We are starting to see our numbers turn around and trend in the right direction," Raimondo said during Friday's news conference. "We know why that is. It’s because we hit the pause button and Rhode Islanders listened."

Because of this decline, the regulations of the pause, which was extended and additional week, will be loosened starting Monday. Gyms will be allowed to reopen, restaurants will be allowed slightly higher capacity and a few other restrictions will be lifted. It's important that the state slowly reopen the economy, Raimondo said, to keep the state on a good trajectory.

"We can't just flick the light switch back on, it has to be a slow dial up," Raimondo said.

The post-pause regulations will be in effect until at least the first week of the new year. During her Jan. 7 news conference, the governor said she will discuss what will happen next based on the current situation.

The post-pause regulations are outlined below.

Reopened after pause

• Indoor dining: Capacity raised from 33 percent to 50 percent; only one household per table
• Venues of assembly: Allowed to reopen at 25 percent capacity, with a maximum of 125 people
• Gyms: Allowed to reopen with one person per 150 square foot
• Indoor recreation facilities: Allowed to reopen with one person per 150 square foot

Same regulations as pause

• In-person school: Preschool through Eighth grade open, high school limited at districts' discretion. Higher education remote only.
• Child care: Open
• Manufacturing and construction: open
• Personal services (salons, barbers, etc): open

Coronavirus in Rhode Island:

• Rhode Island's Week 2 Coronavirus Vaccine Supply Reduced By 40%
• Changed Schedule For Raimondo's Weekly Coroanvirus Conferences
• 2 Weeks Into RI's Pause, Coronavirus Numbers Slightly Improved
• Rhode Island Schools To Stagger Return After Holiday Break
• Rhode Island Correctional Officer Dies From Coronavirus
• Rhode Island Receives First 3,000 Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccines
• Rhode Island's Coronavirus Vaccine Timeline: Who's Getting It