Here are the latest local news stories for Friday 11/13:
Doctor Issues Pandemic Warning; Urges People To Take Virus Seriously
(Providence, RI) -- The chief of emergency medicine at Kent Hospital in Warwick had a serious message for the public as she joined the Rhode Island governor for her coronavirus press briefing on Thursday. Dr. Laura Forman said despite vast resources, the pandemic has pushed the healthcare system in Rhode Island to the brink.
RI hospitals could be full within weeks and state could have to open a field hospital. Forman urged people to take the virus seriously and asked skeptics to think about what it's like for loved ones not to be able to say goodbye to dying patients in person.
More Rhode Island Schools Go Remote; Providence College Switches Early
More remote-learning switches are being made in Rhode Island in response to the late-fall coronavirus surge. Chariho High School in South County is joining a list of other high schools that are going temporarily virtual. EastBayRI.com reports a student tested positive at Hennessey Elementary School in East Providence, so classes will be online at least for today.
Governor Gina Raimondo insisted yesterday there was no evidence schools are a source of virus spread. At the college level, it was announced yesterday that Providence College will go remote next week. PC was planning to finish the semester virtually, but initially not until after Thanksgiving.
Coronavirus: Nursing Home Numbers Up, ACI Lockdown, Pawtucket Mayor Positive
Here are other coronavirus headlines in the Ocean State.
·The latest COVID wave is causing numbers to go up again at nursing homes: nearly two-hundred-fifty cases in the last two weeks. A state health department spokesperson said yesterday the nursing home rates are not what they were in March and April, but that the facilities are currently being affected by community transmission.
·The maximum-security unit of the Adult Correctional Institutions is on lockdown after about fifty infections were diagnosed.
·Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien has announced he has tested positive for COVID-19, and he says several city employees have, also.
Patriots Versus Baltimore This Weekend
(Foxboro, MA) -- The New England Patriots play the Baltimore Ravens this weekend. The Ravens reported Thursday morning that a player tested positive for COVID-19, but that there were no high-risk contacts ,and no other player or staff member is required to isolate. The Patriots will be playing at Gillette Stadium for the first time since it was announced no fan attendance would be allowed for the rest of the season. Kickoff is 8:20 p.m. Sunday.
No Winter Sports For Ivy League
The Ivy League is canceling all of its winter sports for the upcoming season because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Ivy League says fall sports will not take place during the spring semester, and spring sports are postponed through at least the end of February. The Ivy, which includes Brown University, became the first NCAA Division One conference to cancel its fall sports back in July.
Two Charged With Grocery Store Robberies
(North Attleboro, MA) -- Two Brockton, Massachusetts residents are being charged with a couple of supermarket robberies in North Attleboro. Justin O'Connell and Valerie Proulx are accused of robbing the Stop and Shop on Route 1 on Thursday and the Shaw's market in the town last month, according to a report from the Sun Chronicle. O'Connell allegedly entered the Stop and Shop yesterday morning armed with a knife and fled with cash, with an escape car driven by Proulx, according to the Massachusetts State Police. O'Connell allegedly carjacked a livery car and crashed it in West Bridgewater after authorities went to arrest the two in Bridgewater.
New Mayor Of Newport Selected By City Council
(Newport, RI) -- The Newport City Council is once again carrying out its unique tradition of selecting a mayor from the council roster. The Daily News reports the council-elect chose Jeanne-Marie Napolitano on a 4-to-3 vote on Thursday night. Napolitano was the first woman to serve as mayor in the city's history and has served two terms. She was the top vote-getter in this month's election, with current Mayor Jamie Bova in second place.