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Raimondo says R.I.’s coronavirus numbers may be good enough to move to phase two Monday

Hair salons and barber shops, indoor dining, gyms and fitness studios, and the rest of the state’s parks and beaches could reopen by Monday, and houses of worship will likely be able to hold services on Sunday.

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THE CORONAVIRUS
IN RHODE ISLAND

Today's cases: 73
Today's deaths: 13

Total cases: 14,210
Total deaths: 634

Hospitalizations: 226
In ICU: 50

Policies
Stay-home order lifted
Masks in public
Gatherings of no more than 5 people
Stores open with limits
State parks open
Two state beaches open on Memorial Day

Closed
Schools and colleges
Restaurants only takeout / delivery / outdoor dining
Close-contact businesses
Most beaches

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
A family’s Memorial Day tradition remains in limbo
Beneath towering pines in the Berkshires, in a momentary lull to furious football and Frisbee games, some 20 members of my wife's far-flung family would bow their heads in prayer over the dark granite grave of her grandparents. But on this Memorial Day, the coronavirus made that tradition impossible.

RHODE MAP
Just how bad is R.I.’s unemployment rate? Pretty horrible.
The state is in a severe recession, one analyst says, and there will be a profound impact on public finances. But Rhode Island will get a boost as restaurants and other hospitality businesses reopen.

a sign of the season
With face masks and a healthy dose of social distancing, Rhode Islanders headed to the beach to kick off summer
Rhode Island opened its first beaches on Monday to smaller than usual crowds, even under restrictions due to the coronavirus.

With virus inside and outside its walls, Central Falls detention facility faces a class-action lawsuit

The Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls has become a hot spot within a hot spot, with 46 detainees and 12 staff members testing positive for the coronavirus. The ACLU has filed a class-action lawsuit seeking the conditional release of 70 ICE detainees.

Raimondo: R.I. restaurants, hair salons, gyms can reopen June 1; coronavirus deaths hit 579

The further easing of restrictions marks the biggest leap forward to date in Governor Raimondo’s plan for reopening Rhode Island’s economy, which has largely been shuttered since the coronavirus struck the state in March.

Post-coronavirus pandemic, we need a National Commission to Restore the American Dream

Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline says we need to confront the truth that we are now one country for a small group of people who control wealth and power, and a much different country for everyone else.

More Recent Stories

RHODE MAP

Five key questions about phase two of Rhode Island’s reopening

We know phase two means loosening more of the state’s coronavirus restrictions, but the governor has been tight-lipped all week about what exactly she intends to announce.

R.I. unemployment rate shoots up to 17 percent

The number of unemployed Rhode Island residents soared to 90,300 -- an increase of 63,800 from March. Over the year, the number of unemployed residents rose by 70,200.

Rhode Island’s June 2 presidential primary will look very different

At polling sites, hand sanitizer will replace glad-handing politicians, and face masks will replace face time with neighbors. But most Rhode Islanders won’t leave the comfort of their homes to express their presidential preference.

Rhode Island’s nursing homes thought they were prepared for the coronavirus. They weren’t.

More than three-quarters of all COVID-19 deaths in Rhode Island are linked to nursing homes and assisted living centers, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation — one of the highest rates of the 37 states and the District of Columbia publicly reporting those deaths.

RHODE MAP

You can pick the new ‘I voted’ sticker for Rhode Island. These are your choices

We could all use a reason to smile, so let’s talk about stickers.

R.I.’s charter schools face an ethical dilemma: Should they keep millions in federal loans that traditional districts can’t get?

The state’s normally tight-knit charter school community has been quietly debating the issue for more than a month, and officials are divided on the right approach.

Raimondo to Rhode Islanders: Please don’t party in big groups on Memorial Day

Even with two state beaches set to reopen on Memorial Day, the governor said residents should avoid large gatherings this holiday weekend so that the state doesn’t see a spike in coronavirus infections several weeks from now.

URI president began his tenure amid one crisis and is winding it down amid another

David M. Dooley rode into Kingston from Montana in the middle of a recession. Now as he prepares to end his tenure next year, he finds his school dealing with the effects of a pandemic.

RHODE MAP

How long will Governor Raimondo’s new popularity last?

Just four months ago, Governor Gina Raimondo was among the least popular governors in the country, with an approval rating of just 35 percent. But her handling of the coronavirus crisis has sent her stock soaring.

R.I. unveils ‘Crush COVID’ mobile app that allows GPS tracking in case people get sick

ACLU of Rhode Island raises concerns “about the potential ‘Big Brother’ aspects of electronic contact tracing.”

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

Plastic knives. Salt packets. Masks. Eating outdoors at a R.I. restaurant was familiar but strange

Restaurants across the state were allowed to open for outdoor dining Monday, so we visited O’Rourke’s Bar & Grill in Warwick. It was different, but it felt all right.