2020-04-28

218 new cases, 7926 total cases. 6 new deaths, 239 total. ages range: 50s-90s. 5 nursing home residents, 1 in concgregate care setting. 266 in hospital, 84 in ICU, 55 on ventilators. 466 people have been discharged. Because everyone must have health care when they need it, and healthcare providers need more support, governor issued an executive order that until May 27, insurers must be lenient about referrals and preauthorizations, and about seeking behavioral therapy in network. This will reduce red tape. Survey Monkey has helped RI develop a symptom monitoring system that will text patients several times a day and send aggregate data to DOH to help understand the virus. This is opt-in, but will be very useful. DMV gives a 90-day extension to those needing to renew licenses, registratiions, and inspections in March, April, and now May. PPE gowns were a problem last week, but a Fall River company owned by Rhode Islanders provided 3000 gowns this weekend and is filling RI's order for 1/2 million more. Veterans home still has 11 nonsymptomatic residents and 11 direct care and 6 additional staff testing positive and also without symptoms. They are now all isolated.