The Following is From the Governor:
"You’ll notice that the numbers we've been tracking the past few months — the number of tests, positive cases, hospitalizations, etc. — are still on the left side of the screen. But as we head into our seventh month fighting this virus, I also think it’s important to be able to quickly and easily see the trends over time. Since the beginning, I’ve made it my goal to always share where we were, where we are, and where we’re going. This new data dashboard helps us better visualize those trends.
In the updated dashboard, you’ll see graphs showing three weekly metrics over the past 8 weeks. At the top is the average percent positive rate, in the middle is new hospitalizations, and at the bottom is new cases per 100,000 residents. Every Tuesday, these three graphs will be updated to display the previous week’s data.
"You’ll also notice a red line on each of the three graphs. This line represents the threshold above which we need to consider imposing new restrictions. To be clear, this does not mean we will only impose new restrictions if we are above that threshold. As we’ve done all along, we’re taking a targeted and data-driven approach based on the trends we’re seeing, and if we need to tighten restrictions in one particular area, we’ll do that. But these red lines give us a sense of when we might need to consider across-the-board restrictions once again, including the possibility of moving back a phase.
"Finally, in the right column, you’ll see trend arrows comparing each of those three data points to the previous week. These new arrows will make it easier to tell at a glance where our state is doing well and where we need to improve.
"Throughout this pandemic, we’ve always worked to go above and beyond with our data. Transparency is critical; the more we know about what’s happening with the virus, the better we can stay ahead of it. I’m proud that the COVID Tracking Project gives Rhode Island an A+ for our data quality, and we’re always looking for ways to report more data in a way that’s clear and actionable. I hope that today's update to the data dashboard makes it easier for you to see exactly what's going on in our state."