[Summit] Fw: Gov. Raimondo's Weekend Recap: Education Operations Center, FAQs, and immunizations [Covid news no. 359]

[David Kolsky]

   ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Gina Raimondo <communications at governor.ri.gov>To:Sent: Friday, August 28, 2020, 09:41:13 PM EDTSubject: Weekend Recap: EdOC, FAQs, and immunizations
  
| Your RI COVID-19 News Update |
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| Hi David,
There's a lot going on these days, and it's easy to miss things. That's why I wanted to put together a quick recap for you of the new announcements from the past week.
If you know someone who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest measures Rhode Island is taking to stop the spread of COVID-19, send them this link: lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/eYMG9tf. The better we all stay informed, the better we'll be able to keep ourselves, our families, and our friends safe from COVID-19. |

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EDUCATION OPERATIONS CENTER This week, I was excited to announce that we’re launching an Education Operations Center (EdOC). Just like the emergency operations centers we set up during major statewide events, this EdOC will be staffed by people across state agencies – RIDE, RIDOH, DOT, RIPTA, EMA, and others – and will be entirely focused on providing real-time support to our schools, drawing on the operational expertise of the Rhode Island National Guard. 
This operations center will be ready and able to assist with anything our schools need when they reopen. This team will support districts to ensure they have the supplies they need, like hand sanitizer or masks. If they need logistical support to ensure strong in-person learning, this team will be able to provide assistance. When they have a student or staff member who tests positive, this team will be on the ground to test, isolate and quarantine, preventing a large outbreak just as we have done with child care and congregate care settings over the past few months. |

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Over the last few weeks, we've received a lot of great questions from families about how we are preparing to send our kids back to school safely this fall. So this week, RIDE Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, RIDOH Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, and RIDOH Medical Director Dr. Jim McDonald held a Facebook Live forum to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that families have about school reopening. You can watch here.
I'll be back next week with Commissioner Infante-Green, and we'll be joined by Rhode Island Health and Human Services Secretary Womazetta Jones and Providence Superintendent Harrison Peters. We’ll be discussing equity in schools, and we want you to be a part of the conversation. If you have questions you think the Secretary or Superintendent could help answer, please reply to this email with them. |

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IMMUNIZATIONS
The closures of doctor’s offices this spring, coupled with changing routines and closures of immunization clinics in schools, led to a nearly 50% drop in immunizations in March, April and May compared to the previous year. Working with our pediatricians, we launched an aggressive campaign to turn that trend around, and by June we were only 8% below the previous year – a dramatic improvement, but there's still more work to do. 
While we made up a lot of lost ground, the reality is that only 75% of kids entering Kindergarten this year have all their necessary immunizations, and it’s even lower -- about 50% -- for kids entering 7th grade. As we make plans to get our kids back to school safely this fall, please make sure that your child has the immunizations they need. If they don't, please call your pediatrician to schedule your child’s appointment. 1-855-840-4774 to learn more about coverage. |

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| I hope you find this recap helpful. It's so important that everyone stay engaged and informed so that we can all stay safe and healthy. I'll be back on TV with more updates Monday at 1 p.m.
We're all in this together.
-Gina RaimondoGovernor
P.S.: Information is our greatest weapon in the fight against COVID-19. If you or someone you know wants to sign up to receive these emails, you can use this link. |

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|  Governor's Office | 82 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02903


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