Hello friend,
I have exciting news to share about our vaccination campaign: all Rhode Islanders 75 and older can now register for an appointment at one of our two State-run vaccination sites. Appointments can be booked online at VaccinateRI.org or by phone at 844-930-1779. Next week, beginning Monday, February 22, scheduling will open to any Rhode Islander 65 and older through these same methods.
This marks the beginning of Phase 2 of our vaccination campaign. Phase 1 was focused on taking a targeted approach to reach those most at-risk of severe disease and hospitalization, and that approach helped shore up and preserve Rhode Island’s health care system. By keeping our frontline health care workers safe, and by vaccinating those in nursing homes, other congregate care settings, and high-density communities, we were able to reduce our hospitalizations by a significantly higher rate than our neighboring states and the national average.
We’re in a good, stable place, with hospitalizations and new cases continuing to decline to their lowest levels in months, and our statewide percent positive at just 2%. Now, as we enter Phase 2 and expand to the general population, it’s all about speed and scale. We already have capacity for 1,400 daily vaccinations just at the two State-run sites in Providence and Cranston. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be doubling that capacity to 2,800 daily appointments and adding more sites in the northern and southern regions of our state. And we’ll do it all in partnership with municipalities, with a focus on those hit the hardest.
I’m sure you have a lot of questions. That’s why I joined Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott and Rhode Island National Guard Major General Chris Callahan for a Facebook Live event this afternoon to address some of the most common questions we’ve received about our vaccination campaign. We covered a lot of ground, including how to sign up, when to arrive for your appointment, and more.
You can watch that discussion by clicking here or on the picture below.
As a reminder, you can also get vaccinated through a local pharmacy or your municipality. Rhode Islanders 75 and older can contact CVS or Walgreens about appointments at a retail pharmacy location. If you prefer to get vaccinated at a local or regional clinic, contact your city or town directly to learn more. There is no insurance requirement to get vaccinated, and no one has to pay to get vaccinated. These sites will likewise expand to anyone 65 and older on Monday.
For folks under 65 years old who want to get updates as eligibility opens to new groups, you can sign up for the the Vaccine Information Notification List at portal.ri.gov. For more general information about vaccination in Rhode Island, visit C19vaccineRI.org. Stay safe, stay informed, and stay the course—we’ll get through this pandemic soon.
-Gina Raimondo
Governor