Thank you and all the residents of Newport that are and have been heeding the instructions of RIDOH and following physical distancing guidelines. I know that this has been hard, but it is so important to helping our community weather this pandemic. I urge everyone to tune into Governor Raimondo’s daily 1 pm press briefing with the Department of Health for current updates and instruction directly from State officials. It is aired on local news stations and streamed on-line.
As of March 28, Rhode Island is under a stay-at-home order, which means we are not to leave our homes except for essential needs. It is critical to follow this order. This weekend the State passed the grim milestone of the first deaths from COVID-19. As we offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of these first victims, we should be reminded that our individual decisions and actions have literal life-or-death consequences. For the time being, we must stay home and limit our physical interaction with a small group of five people to slow the spread and prevent new cases of COVID-19 in our community.
The City, State, and others across our community have been working tirelessly to put together resources to support everyone as we all take steps to flatten the curve. New resources are continuing to be made available in response to the needs of the community. Here are some of those resources:
City of Newport COVID-19 Page - Local directives, guidance, and resources
RIDOH COVID-19 Page - Health information from the State relating to COVID-19
Care.com/RINEED - Find volunteer and paid caregivers for critical workers. To volunteer, visit care.com/rigive.
Grocery Delivery - To comply with quarantine orders or to minimize contact, have groceries delivered
Restaurant Take-out / Delivery - Help support Newport's local restaurants
MLK Center - Resources and food for those in need, as well as instructions for donations
Commerce RI - Critical information for businesses
Department of Labor and Training - Instructions for applying for Unemployment and Disability
Small Business Administration - Information on loans available to small businesses
Business Tech Support - Expert assistance and resources for businesses for work-from-home technology, e-commerce, and other technology needs
A lot of “normal” business has changed or halted for the time being. As this pandemic continues, we are having to shift the way we all live, learn, and do business; this is no different for the City government. The City Council will be meeting via phone this Tuesday March 31st in a workshop. During this workshop, the City Manager will be giving an update on the status of COVID-19 in Newport and our response efforts. The Council will also be discussing the path forward for the North End Urban Plan and how it will affect the zoning updates and the development moratorium. The public is encouraged to listen in by telephone: Dial: 1-888-788-0099 or 1-877-852-5247 Meeting ID: 601 915 337
As we begin the next of what will be many weeks of challenging work to first slow the spread of COVID-19, and then begin to restart our local economy, I have been working with the City Manager and my fellow councilors on plans to provide our local government the agility it needs to operate in this new normal. I believe we need to be unafraid to take innovative and unprecedented steps to provide for the health, safety, and well-being of the residents of Newport. Working together as a community and using the resources available, we can chart our course through this tough time and emerge an even stronger, resilient community.