PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island’s coronavirus numbers continue to head in the wrong direction, according to data released Friday.
The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in Rhode Island has now risen over the past two weeks from almost 884 on Nov. 19 to 1,033 on Thursday, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
The state Department of Health on Friday reported 1,326 new positive tests from the previous day, out of nearly 14,500 tests, a daily positivity rate of 9.2%.
The latest 7-day average positivity rate in Rhode Island is 8.84% as of Thursday, according to the COVID Tracking Project, up from 6.2% two weeks ago.
The state also reported 13 more virus-related deaths, for a total of 1,413 fatalities since the pandemic began.
The good news is that there were 408 patients in the hospital with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, the latest day for which the information was available, down from 420 the previous day. Forty-five were in intensive care.
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HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW CANCELED
An annual holiday tradition in Rhode Island, already scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic, has now been canceled to protect the public from further spread.
Narragansett’s Holiday Faire & Festival of Lights scheduled for this weekend was called off after the state contacted the Narragansett Chamber of Commerce on Thursday “advised them of their concerns,” Town Manager James Tierney said in a statement.
“This decision was made after careful deliberation through collaborative discussions,” involving several local and state agencies.
The entire state is currently on a two-week pause in an effort to control a recent surge in new cases.
A planned fireworks display will be postponed to a date to be determined.
