This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/coronavirus-rhode-island-checkpoint.html
The article has changed 23 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Rhode Island Pulls Over New Yorkers to Keep the Virus at Bay | Rhode Island Pulls Over New Yorkers to Keep the Virus at Bay |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Police officers were watching Rhode Island’s highways, bridges and bus stops. National Guard troops were trudging through resort towns with clipboards, knocking on doors. They were all hunting for fleeing New Yorkers and their telltale Empire State license plates. | Police officers were watching Rhode Island’s highways, bridges and bus stops. National Guard troops were trudging through resort towns with clipboards, knocking on doors. They were all hunting for fleeing New Yorkers and their telltale Empire State license plates. |
| The states are increasingly finding themselves pitted against one another, as they bid for scarce medical equipment, angle for federal aid and demand that nonresidents self-quarantine. | The states are increasingly finding themselves pitted against one another, as they bid for scarce medical equipment, angle for federal aid and demand that nonresidents self-quarantine. |
| Few, though, have gone yet to the lengths Rhode Island has to try to keep the potentially infected at bay, especially those from New York, the biggest hot spot in the country. | Few, though, have gone yet to the lengths Rhode Island has to try to keep the potentially infected at bay, especially those from New York, the biggest hot spot in the country. |
| Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, said on Friday that if New Yorkers entering the state did not quarantine themselves for 14 days after arrival, they would be fined and, if they continued to flout the order, arrested. | Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, said on Friday that if New Yorkers entering the state did not quarantine themselves for 14 days after arrival, they would be fined and, if they continued to flout the order, arrested. |
| “That’s a law — that’s an order,” Ms. Raimondo said. “It comes with penalties. It’s not a suggestion.” | “That’s a law — that’s an order,” Ms. Raimondo said. “It comes with penalties. It’s not a suggestion.” |
| She sent troops and police officers to the main highways entering the state, as well as to Amtrak stations and the main airport, to stop and warn people coming from New York State about the quarantine order. And on Saturday, she extended the order to cover travelers from any state. | She sent troops and police officers to the main highways entering the state, as well as to Amtrak stations and the main airport, to stop and warn people coming from New York State about the quarantine order. And on Saturday, she extended the order to cover travelers from any state. |
| She was not alone in establishing checkpoints to stop travelers from places where the virus is widespread. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, said on Saturday that his administration would try to set up a checkpoint on Interstate 95 near the Georgia border to stop drivers from the New York area and tell them they had to quarantine themselves for two weeks. | She was not alone in establishing checkpoints to stop travelers from places where the virus is widespread. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, said on Saturday that his administration would try to set up a checkpoint on Interstate 95 near the Georgia border to stop drivers from the New York area and tell them they had to quarantine themselves for two weeks. |
| “It’s not fair to the people of Florida” that outsiders keep coming in, Governor DeSantis said. “It would make it a lot easier if we didn’t have folks coming in from hot zones where they may be very well carrying the virus.” | “It’s not fair to the people of Florida” that outsiders keep coming in, Governor DeSantis said. “It would make it a lot easier if we didn’t have folks coming in from hot zones where they may be very well carrying the virus.” |
| On Friday, Mr. DeSantis extended his quarantine order to cover travelers from Louisiana as well, and authorized highway checkpoints in the Panhandle to intercept and warn them. | On Friday, Mr. DeSantis extended his quarantine order to cover travelers from Louisiana as well, and authorized highway checkpoints in the Panhandle to intercept and warn them. |
| President Trump said on Saturday that concerns raised by states like Rhode Island and Florida about travelers from New York City had prompted him to consider imposing a federal quarantine of New York, New Jersey and part of Connecticut. He later backed off the idea. | President Trump said on Saturday that concerns raised by states like Rhode Island and Florida about travelers from New York City had prompted him to consider imposing a federal quarantine of New York, New Jersey and part of Connecticut. He later backed off the idea. |
| Legal experts said that states were on shaky ground pulling people over just for their license plates. And Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Saturday that Rhode Island’s action was “at the point of absurdity.” | Legal experts said that states were on shaky ground pulling people over just for their license plates. And Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Saturday that Rhode Island’s action was “at the point of absurdity.” |
| “If they don’t roll back that policy, I’m going to sue Rhode Island, because that clearly is unconstitutional,” Governor Cuomo said on CNN, though he added that he didn’t think it would come to that. “We’ll work it out amicably, I’m sure,” he said. | “If they don’t roll back that policy, I’m going to sue Rhode Island, because that clearly is unconstitutional,” Governor Cuomo said on CNN, though he added that he didn’t think it would come to that. “We’ll work it out amicably, I’m sure,” he said. |
| Even so, Rhode Island’s measures were welcomed by many “year-rounders” who live in the state’s summer resort communities near the Connecticut border. They have been growing increasingly frustrated with an influx of New Yorkers fleeing the city to second homes and rental properties in the area, and possibly bringing the virus with them. | Even so, Rhode Island’s measures were welcomed by many “year-rounders” who live in the state’s summer resort communities near the Connecticut border. They have been growing increasingly frustrated with an influx of New Yorkers fleeing the city to second homes and rental properties in the area, and possibly bringing the virus with them. |
| Local residents have been posting videos and photographs in local Facebook groups of cars with New York tags being pulled over. | Local residents have been posting videos and photographs in local Facebook groups of cars with New York tags being pulled over. |
| John Austin witnessed a stop on Friday in Westerly, a town of about 23,000 in the corner of the state nearest to New York, when a trooper’s flashing lights followed a driver into the parking lot of Sandy’s Fine Food Emporium, where Mr. Austin is the store manager. | John Austin witnessed a stop on Friday in Westerly, a town of about 23,000 in the corner of the state nearest to New York, when a trooper’s flashing lights followed a driver into the parking lot of Sandy’s Fine Food Emporium, where Mr. Austin is the store manager. |
| “It is live, and it is happening,” Mr. Austin said. “It’s happening in our backyard.” | “It is live, and it is happening,” Mr. Austin said. “It’s happening in our backyard.” |
| He said that police officers were stationed all along Route 78 from the state line at the Pawcatuck River to his store. “It’s not easy for any one of us,” he said. “Let’s pray for a resolution quick.” | He said that police officers were stationed all along Route 78 from the state line at the Pawcatuck River to his store. “It’s not easy for any one of us,” he said. “Let’s pray for a resolution quick.” |
| When the police officers stop New Yorkers or find them in their summer homes, they hand out copies of the governor’s executive order and collect contact information. Any who manage to avoid the officers may face another penalty: public shaming. | When the police officers stop New Yorkers or find them in their summer homes, they hand out copies of the governor’s executive order and collect contact information. Any who manage to avoid the officers may face another penalty: public shaming. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | Updated June 12, 2020 |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| “Leaving Walmart filled to the top,” one woman seethed in a posting to a local Facebook group, alongside photos of a Volkswagen with New York plates and a trunk loaded with paper towels. Another woman responded, “They need to go home!” | “Leaving Walmart filled to the top,” one woman seethed in a posting to a local Facebook group, alongside photos of a Volkswagen with New York plates and a trunk loaded with paper towels. Another woman responded, “They need to go home!” |
| Nearly half of the country’s more than 119,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in New York State, in part because of widespread testing there. Rhode Island, the smallest state by area, had 239 cases on Saturday evening, and had reported its first two deaths. | Nearly half of the country’s more than 119,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in New York State, in part because of widespread testing there. Rhode Island, the smallest state by area, had 239 cases on Saturday evening, and had reported its first two deaths. |
| Texas, Maryland and South Carolina are among other states that have ordered people arriving from New York to self-quarantine. In Texas, for instance, the Department of Public Safety said Friday that its agents would make surprise visits to see whether travelers were adhering to the state’s mandate, and they warned that violators could be fined $1,000 and jailed for up to 180 days. | Texas, Maryland and South Carolina are among other states that have ordered people arriving from New York to self-quarantine. In Texas, for instance, the Department of Public Safety said Friday that its agents would make surprise visits to see whether travelers were adhering to the state’s mandate, and they warned that violators could be fined $1,000 and jailed for up to 180 days. |
| The orders have not come without controversy: Steven Brown, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, said outright that the police stops in that state were unconstitutional. | The orders have not come without controversy: Steven Brown, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, said outright that the police stops in that state were unconstitutional. |
| “Under the Fourth Amendment, having a New York state license plate simply does not, and cannot, constitute ‘probable cause’ to allow police to stop a car and interrogate the driver, no matter how laudable the goal of the stop may be,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. | “Under the Fourth Amendment, having a New York state license plate simply does not, and cannot, constitute ‘probable cause’ to allow police to stop a car and interrogate the driver, no matter how laudable the goal of the stop may be,” Mr. Brown said in a statement. |
| Lawrence O. Gostin, the chair of global health law at Georgetown University, agreed that the directive appeared “too arbitrary and capricious” to be upheld by a judge. License plates were far from foolproof indicators of whether someone had been exposed to the virus, he noted. | Lawrence O. Gostin, the chair of global health law at Georgetown University, agreed that the directive appeared “too arbitrary and capricious” to be upheld by a judge. License plates were far from foolproof indicators of whether someone had been exposed to the virus, he noted. |
| The legal principle barring states from treating residents of other states differently from its own citizens is one of the oldest in the country, rooted in the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Constitution. That clause forbids discrimination based on state residence in most cases, underpinning the right of unfettered interstate travel. | The legal principle barring states from treating residents of other states differently from its own citizens is one of the oldest in the country, rooted in the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Constitution. That clause forbids discrimination based on state residence in most cases, underpinning the right of unfettered interstate travel. |
| Neil MacFarquhar, Patricia Mazzei and Alan Blinder contributed reporting. | Neil MacFarquhar, Patricia Mazzei and Alan Blinder contributed reporting. |