Rhode Island Marks Second Coronavirus Pandemic Anniversary

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island reached its second pandemic anniversary Tuesday, marking two years since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the state.

While it's been a "long a difficult journey," Gov. Dan McKee said, "together we’ve come so far."

"Rhode Islanders have shown strength and resilience and because of that, we’re on the path to emerge from this pandemic stronger than we went in," McKee said. "Let us also take a moment today to reflect on the lives lost to this virus and keep their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers."

The state's response to the pandemic has changed significantly since that first case. Within a few weeks, the virus began to spread rampantly in the state, prompting a stay-at-home order from then-Gov. Gina Raimondo.

Related: Survey: 2 Years In, How Has COVID-19 Affected RI Residents?

March 2021 marked one year into the pandemic, with hope on the horizon as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout started. In the year since, Rhode Island has seen steep highs and lows, from a summer that felt close to normal to the worst numbers on record during the omicron surge in December and January.

On the second anniversary, things are looking up in Rhode Island. Sharply decline case numbers and hospitalizations led Gov. Dan McKee to lift the requirement to wear a mask or show proof of vaccination in public spaces, with the statewide school mask mandate set to end March 4.

Last week, McKee said state leadership is shifting to a new phase, approaching the response from an endemic approach, rather than a pandemic. The state's top priority remains getting as many people vaccinated and boosted as possible, to prepare for future variants and seasonal case increases.

"We're in a much better place than we were last month, a much better place than we were last year," McKee said at the time. "COVID-19 has transitioned to a preventable, treatable disease."