Newport Daily News
Focus should be on vaccinating people over 65
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the medical community has consistently warned everyone that the virus is most dangerous for older age groups. Older people were advised to stay home to protect themselves. Restrictions on the economy were justified as necessary to protect people over 65 who were most vulnerable to hospitalization and death.
Now that a vaccine is available, the need to protect people aged 65 and older has taken a backseat to protecting other groups of people including “hard-hit communities.”
Our medical and political authorities seem to have forgotten that the most “hard-hit community” has been, and remains, those aged 65 and over. Is it equitable to make older people wait until March or later while the vaccine is given to people who are not at high risk of hospitalization or death from the virus?
By Journal staff
PROVIDENCE An Atwells Avenue restaurant has been ordered red to shut down indefinitely for allegedly defying the Governor Raimondo s Covid-19 curfew on New Year s eve.
Lt. Joseph Dufault confirmed that the emergency closure order, signed by Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré, was served on Saje Kitchen, at 332 Atwells Avenue, at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
The order is in effect until the city licensing board meets to decide what happens next. As of Saturday morning, no meeting had been scheduled.
According to Dufault, detectives who work for the city s license enforcement unit were notified late Thursday night that there were still patrons inside the restaurants past the mandatory closing hour mandated by Gov. Gina M. Raimondo.
The Rhode Island General Assembly opens its 2021 session Tuesday, Jan. 5.
Due to the need for social distance necessitated by COVID-19, the Assembly will not be meeting at the State House, which remains closed to the public.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. In accordance with the state constitution, the senior representative from Newport, Rep. Marvin L. Abney (D-Dist. 73, Newport, Middletown), will preside until the election of a new speaker, which is scheduled after Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea administers the oath of office to the members. Supreme Court Justice Francis X. Flaherty will administer the oath to the elected speaker. In November, the House Democratic Caucus endorsed Majority Leader K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) for speaker. Gov. Gina M. Raimondo is also scheduled to offer remarks.
12/28/2020
Rhode Islanders invited to #WalkOff2020 at state parks
PROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management announced in a press release that it is inviting residents to #WalkOff2020 and celebrate the New Year by getting outdoors with their immediate household members during the holiday weekend. Starting New Year’s Day, people are encouraged to visit any of Rhode Island s state parks with their household members – physically distanced from other groups and masked up – during regular park hours to explore and enjoy the outdoors.
First Day Hikes are part of a nationwide initiative led by America’s State Parks to encourage people to get outdoors. Last year nearly 85,000 people rang in the New Year, collectively hiking more than 176,366 miles throughout the country on the hikes.