PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and students will continue online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gina Raimondo said Thursday.
The Democrat said she wanted to find a way to reopen schools before summer break, but Rhode Island’s COVID-19 cases are still climbing.
“To take that much risk for a few weeks of traditional school, I know would be irresponsible and the wrong decision for all the people of Rhode Island,” she said.
Raimondo applauded students for staying engaged, saying participation rates in e-learning are high across the state. But she acknowledged the challenges for students who miss their classrooms and friends and for parents who are trying to juggle their kids’ studies while working from home.
“Distance learning is not easy. I know that as a mother. I know that as a governor,” she said. “It has taken a toll on all of us.”
Rhode Island reported eight new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the state’s death toll to 189.
There are now more than 6,200 cases reported in the state after 412 new cases were added Thursday. It’s the largest single-day increase in reported cases Rhode Island has seen in the pandemic.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with underlying health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
In other virus-related news:
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HOSPITAL FINANCIAL WOES
Rhode Island’s largest hospital group saw an operating loss of nearly $33 million last month as it deals with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
Lifespan, which owns Rhode Island, Miriam, Bradley and Newport hospitals, said saw a nearly $76 million net loss for March with investment losses factored in.
Lifespan President and CEO Dr. Timothy Babineau said the organization’s operating losses could reach $100 million from March to May.
“From a purely financial standpoint, this crisis could not have come at a worse time for Lifespan,” Babineau said in an emailed statement.
Emergency room and doctor’s office visits are down and hospital leaders have had to cancel elective surgeries. Officials say they are also dealing with higher costs due to the virus for things like extra personal protective gear.
