Last week Rhode Island saw an upsurge of Covid-19 cases, breaking new records. According to the CDC, Rhode Island has the highest infection rate per capita. Last Thursday, there were 948 new positive cases and an alarmingly high number of hospitalizations. Governor Gina Raimondo held a press briefing that very day, announcing the extension of the Two Week Pause, which was supposed to end last Sunday. While this pause hasn’t imposed any new regulations on schools, many districts are switching to remote learning.

The superintendent of East Providence has announced a full distance learning until January 4th. Other districts choosing to do a full virtual learning include Cranston, Warwick, and Burrillville. Cities like West Warwick and Woonsocket have already been remote learning since November. As for North Providence, Principal Magill sent an email on Friday, December 11th, outlining the schedule for this month. As per the superintendent’s decisions, the district will move into a full-distance learning phase, starting December 21st and ending on January 8th. Schools will be switched to hybrid again in the week of January 11th. As the holiday season approaches, Covid-19 is surging again and health officials recommend the continued enforcement of safety measures.