Gov. Raimondo said youth sports will be allowed … with restrictions

On Wednesday, there were 143 new cases of COVID-19; Rhode Island now has 14,353 total cases. There were also 21 new deaths, 16 of them of people living in long-term facilities like nursing homes. The number of people in the hospital because of the virus continues to drop, with 218 Wednesday, 49 of those in the ICU and 35 of those on ventilators. The number of confirmed cases in East Greenwich held steady at 69. Find all the recent data on the Dept. of Health’s data dashboard HERE.

So far, 655 Rhode Islanders have died of COVID-19 since the first death on March 27, exactly two months ago. At her press conference Wednesday, Gov. Gina Raimondo touted the Red Cross’s virtual programs to help people who have lost loved ones, from the coronavirus or for any reason. Without the normal mourning routines of wakes and funerals, one-on-one embraces and large gatherings, grieving during this time can feel very lonely. The Red Cross offerings are meant to help, Raimondo said. Find a link to the Red Cross HERE.

The governor also outlined more information about gym and fitness center guidelines for June 1, Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plans. This extends to everything from large fitness centers like the YMCA and LA Fitness to smaller gyms, fitness, dance and yoga studios, and gymnastic centers. The state is encouraging venues to use reservation systems and to have clients workout with the same cohort of people as much as possible. 

Masks are also encouraged; for those not wearing masks, there needs to be a 14-foot distance between that person and others instead of the (now) normal 6 feet. The full list of guidelines can be found HERE.

When asked about youth sports, Raimondo said they would be allowing them with restrictions and that she’d have more information later this week.

“I want to enable youth sports,” said Raimondo. “There will be youth sports this summer in Rhode Island.”

Perfectly Fit owner Dan Lucas said Wednesday his small East Greenwich gym will reopen June 1 with private classes, something they had been doing before. If they hold group classes, they would do that outside, he said. 

“Everything’s by appointment only, so we can really control how many people are coming in at one time,” he said. “And then we’ll wash everything down once they leave.”

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