Dr. Alexander-Scott and Gov. Raimondo PHOTO: GoLocal
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo s office announced Saturday night that her top medical expert has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The state currently ranks number one in the United States for number of positive cases per 100,000.
“Earlier today, Rhode Island Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH, tested positive for COVID-19. This was identified through routine testing. She is asymptomatic and will continue working from home. In accordance with Department of Health guidance, Governor Gina Raimondo and several members of her senior leadership team will be self-quarantining. The Governor tested negative today and will continue to be tested during her quarantine,” said Raimondo spokesman Josh Block.
WATCH LIVE: See Press Conference HERE When Video Begins at 1 PM
WATCH LIVE: Former RI Director of Health Dr. Michael Fine at 2 PM on GoLocal LIVE on Facebook
As GoLocal reported on Wednesday:
The amount of infection on Rhode Island is, literally, the highest in the world, and yet the numbers are likely to get worse over the next few weeks.
Top U.S. scientist Eric Topol found that Rhode Island leads all other U.S. states and all other countries in the world for coronavirus cases per capita.
Topol, Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Scripps Research Institute tweeted, For the third day, Rhode Island continues to have the highest number of new COVID-19 infections per capita at 122.6 new cases per 100,000 population per day (compared to 116.4 in the Republic of Georgia, and 104.4 in Serbia). This increased from 110 in just one day. Rhode Island is now averaging 1,299 new cases each day.
Raimondo said she looked at mobility data as a key indicator but the state isn t where she wants it to be. If people are out and about and on our roads, we know there’ll be more cases in a couple of weeks, said Raimondo. Data is starting to trend in the right direction. I had hoped to see a more precipitous and quicker decline and we’re just not seeing that, said Raimondo, in announcing the extension of the current two week pause, which was set to expire this weekend.
Assistance for Businesses I can hear the collective groan of businesses really getting hurt I’m sorry, this is really hard. But I am certain it’s [a right decision], she said. To have to throttle it back is especially painful.