Woonsocket Radio News Room

NORTH SMITHFIELD WEEKLY UPDATE

 

Dear Residents, Businesses, and Community Partners,

 

I hope you are doing well. As we mark almost a year since the first case of COVID-19 in Rhode Island, I want to thank our first responders, town staff, teachers, and community partners for always stepping up to help those in need. We are also thankful for residents doing their part to keep cases low in our community. It has been a difficult year, but there is an end in sight. Until we are all vaccinated, please continue to remain vigilant and safe.

 

Rhode Island’s COVID-19 positivity rate continues to remain low at 2.1% for the week, and 225,551 vaccinations have been administered statewide. 

 

Locally, we are proud to have vaccinated 160 residents 75 years and older. We have 160 more to vaccinate with our allotted amount from the RIDOH.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine

There are several options for Rhode Islanders 65 years of age or older to be vaccinated: 

 

1.     State Sites: Register for a vaccine at the two state sites in Providence and Cranston here: https://www.vaccinateri.org/ or call 844-930-1779.

a.      We will update you as additional locations open in Middletown, Woonsocket, and elsewhere. 

 

2.     Pharmacies: CVS and Walgreens are now accepting online reservations.

 

3.     Register for a Lifespan Clinic: http://bit.ly/LifespanVax

 

If you are unable to leave home to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, or are the healthcare provider or family caregiver of someone who is homebound, please inform RIDOH through the following form: http://bit.ly/homeboundvax.

 

For more information on vaccines, visit: https://covid.ri.gov/vaccination. Sign up for RIDOH’s weekly vaccination newsletter here.

 

COVID-19 Testing

Please consider getting tested on a weekly basis. Rapid and PCR testing is available at various locations throughout the state. A full list of locations is located here. To make an appointment click here.

 

COVID-19 Guidelines 

As a reminder, the state is operating under the following guidelines: 

 

·        Wear a mask when outside of your home, even in the outdoors.

·        Keep your social interactions limited to members of one additional household when indoors, and two additional households when gathering outdoors.

·        Self-isolate whenever possible. Work from home. Shop locally online.

 

Local Reminders

A reminder that there is a special election on Tuesday, March 2nd. For those who are voting by mail, ballots must be received by 8:00 pm on March 2nd. Early/emergency voting is open until March 1st until 4:00pm. 

 

·        Monday March 1st: 8am-4pm

·        Tuesday, March 2nd 7am-8pm

 

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced an exclusive access period for the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees for the next 14 days (starting 2/24). Find out more and apply, here: http://ow.ly/JVqi50DGZrY

 

Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation. 

 

Sincerely, 

 

Paul Zwolenski

Town Administrator

 

Two of the seated seven jurors in President Trump's hush money criminal trial are being removed from the panel. One was let go after being questioned about his arrest record and another was excused when she expressed concerns about her identity being made public by the media. The number of chosen jurors is now down to five, as Trump remains in the New York court, and off the campaign trail.       New York police are clearing out anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University. The students built tents on a campus lawn Wednesday and refused to leave. Police in riot gear are clearing out the camp and arresting students for trespassing. The action comes after the President of the university faced a grilling by lawmakers yesterday on Capitol Hill regarding antisemitism on campus.        It looks like Republican Mike Johnson will need Democrats in order to pass his foreign aid package. The House Speaker plans for separate votes on aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and a separate bill for the border. The conservative flank argues the border should be tied to Ukraine to force Democrats to vote for its passage, and warn they may oust him if he continues with his plan.        Officials are still investigating the cause of last year's Maui fires that killed 101 people. A State Attorney General report says a major windstorm toppled power lines in Lahaina [[ lah-HYE-nah ]], sparking the first fire on that fateful August day. That fire was extinguished, but was reignited by strong winds, and eventually there were four major wildfires breaking out. The official cause is being handled by the ATF.       Black inmates sentenced to death by lethal injection suffer botched procedures at higher rates than white prisoners. According to a new report from the anti-death penalty group Reprieve, Black prisoners had a 220-percent greater chance of suffering a botched execution than white prisoners.       The RBC Heritage is underway in South Carolina. Last year's winner was Matt Fitzpatrick and he's back in the field again this year. World number one and last week's Masters winner Scottie Scheffler is also playing again this week.       

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