Less Than 100 People Hospitalized With COVID-19 In Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island's COVID-19 hospitalizations fell below 100 for the first time since August in the past several days, with less than 100 new hospital admissions over the course of the week.

The improved numbers continue a weeks-long trend in the state since the omicron surge peaked at the beginning of the year. The latest weekly data from the Rhode Island Department of Health shows across-the-board decreases, including case numbers, percent positivity and hospital admissions. Over the past week, the state's percent positivity rate was 2.7 percent, down from 3.1 percent the week prior. In addition, cases per 100,000 people fell to 119, while there were just 43 new hospitalizations.

Rhode Island has had more than 100 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state since Aug. 9, 2021, when the delta variant started to spread in the state. As of Friday, that number fell the 96 for the first time since that date.

Hospital data is one of the key factors in the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention's new guidelines for determining community risk, rather than relying only on case numbers. Under the new system, all Rhode Island counties are currently considered to be low risk, meaning indoor masking is not recommended for the general public. The Department of Health is working to update its COVID-19 dashboard to reflect these new guidelines.