First Week Back In School Shows Low Virus Transmission: Raimondo

PROVIDENCE, RI — The first week of school in Rhode Island went about as well as it could have, Gov. Gina Raimondo said Wednesday. While there are many issues still left to iron out, there is not any evidence of transmission in schools at this time.

"The majority of cases in the school community were in people who never set foot in a school building," Raimondo said.

In total, 77 positive coronavirus cases were confirmed in connection with the school community, which makes up 15 percent of the state's population. Of these, 33 were in students and staff in school buildings, and the remaining 44 were at home.

One of the best indicators so far has been how spread out all the cases were, said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the director of the Rhode Island Department of Health. The 33 cases found in schools were spread across 25 schools, meaning there was little to no spread within the individual buildings.

"The key is stopping secondary and tertiary transmission," she said.

Schools that did have more than one case often had another outside factor connect, Alexander-Scott said, such as siblings who were both ill or friends who played together outside of school.

"We will continue to see cases, the key is that we contain them," Raimondo said.

Any student or staff member who feels ill is urged to call the school testing hotline at 844-857-1814. An appointment will be scheduled for the same day, with the results returned the same day, as well.

Last week, a group of Providence teachers who believed they were close contacts carpooled to a test site together, without an appointment. Although test sites are capable of handling unscheduled appointments, it is better to make an appointment to keep the system moving smoothly, Raimondo said. In addition, the Department of Health identifies close contacts through their case investigations, rather than by self-identification. Anyone who believes they were in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or received a call from the department is reminded to keep away from others as much as possible, which includes avoiding a carpool if possible.

If carpooling is necessary, everyone in the vehicle should wear a mask, and windows should be rolled down to allow for airflow.

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