PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island’s death toll inches closer to 1,000 as one more Rhode Island resident has died and 53 more state residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the state Department of Health announced on Tuesday.
The state’s death toll is now 996 people, while nearly 18,000 people have had confirmed cases, the department said in its daily update.
The 53 new confirmed cases were out of 2,371 people tested, a positive rate of about 2.2%.
The number of people in the state’s hospitals as of Sunday, the latest day for which the information was available, remained at 64, the same as the previous day. Four of those patients are in intensive care.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
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DOCTOR’S OFFICES CITED
Two doctor’s offices were among several Rhode Island businesses cited by state officials recently for not complying with regulations designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
A July 13 inspection of the medical office of Dr. Daniel Hochberger, in East Providence, found that two employees were not wearing face coverings at all, and one was wearing it improperly; that the office didn’t have a plan for safe operation during the pandemic; and that the office had not been properly cleaned, the state Department of Health said Monday.
Hochberger told The Providence Journal that many of the claims in the Department of Health order were false or overstated. He said staffers were not wearing masks because they were eating lunch.
The office was allowed to reopen Monday.
The North Providence Urgent Care and Primary Care office was ordered closed Monday after failing a state inspection last Thursday.
The state said office employees were improperly wearing face coverings, and the office did not have a cleaning log, proper safety signage and was not properly screening patients.
Medical Director Dr. Anthony Farina denied the violations.
“We do our screenings on our patients as they come into the office,” Farina told WLNE-TV. ”We’ve always cleaned the office. We’ve always observed safe precautions.”
The office was allowed to reopen Monday after a re-inspection found no violations.
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HOSPITAL FUNDRAISER
Even though the coronavirus pandemic forced Hasbro Children’s Hospital to cancel this year’s Heroes Ball, its largest annual fundraiser, donors have still come through with more than $900,000 in donations, the hospital announced.
The $938,415 came from businesses and foundations, individuals and families.
“Although we could not celebrate at this year’s Heroes Ball in the traditional sense, our incredible donor community was there for us when we needed them most and their outpouring of support is a testament to an unbreakable commitment to our region’s children,” Dr. Timothy Babineau, president and CEO of Lifespan, Hasbro’s parent company, said in a statement.
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