For Second Week In A Row, RI's Coronavirus Numbers Plunge

PROVIDENCE, RI — For the second week in a row, all three of Rhode Island's key coronavirus data trends took a nosedive, putting the state in the best position it's been in since well before the winter peak.

Over the past week, the state had a 1.6 percent positivity rate, down from 1.9 percent the week before.

Case numbers also dropped over the past week, falling from 192 cases per 100,000 people the previous week to 157. While this number is still above the safe threshold of 100 cases per 100,000 or fewer, this week was the lowest it has been in months.

Hospitalizations, which tend to lag a week or two behind other data indicators, also fell in the past week. Rhode Island reported 112 coronavirus-related hospitalizations, down from 134 the week before.

Dr. Philip Chan, one of the leading doctors with the Rhode Island Department of Health, said last week that he was "cautiously optimistic" about the state's data trends. To keep the momentum going, it's important for as many Rhode Islanders as are eligible to get vaccinated, Chan said.

Rhode Island is just one week away from across-the-board changes to coronavirus safety regulations, ahead of full capacity at businesses even more flexibility by Memorial Day Weekend. These new regulations were designed for fully-vaccinated adults, said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, RIDOH's director, meaning that those who choose not to get vaccinated will be at an even greater risk.