All of Rhode Island Now Considered Medium-Risk Area

Providence, Bristol, Kent, Newport, and Washington Counties are now considered medium-risk areas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels risk assessment. CDC determines risk level using three metrics: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.

CDC determines risk level using three metrics: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.

If you are in a medium-risk area, RIDOH recommends taking additional precautions, including:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

• If you are immunocompromised or high risk, have a plan for testing and talk to your healthcare provider about protecting yourself.

• If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk, consider self-testing and wearing a mask when indoors with them.

• When indoors in crowded settings, consider wearing a mask regardless of vaccination status. This is especially important for people who are immunocompromised.

• Get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

If you test positive:

• Talk to your doctor about treatment

• Stay home and use this calculator to determine how long you need to quarantine or isolate

• Use the RIDOH COVID-19 Survey to let people you were with know you tested positive.

• If you test yourself for COVID-19 at home, report your result to RIDOH at portal.ri.gov/s/selftest.

CDC’s full set of recommendation is available online.

Protect Your Household from COVID-19

COVID-19 spreads mainly through close contact with someone who is infected. People who are infected but do not show symptoms can also spread the virus to others. The best ways to prevent illness and death are to get vaccinated and avoid being exposed to the virus.

7 Tools for Protection Against COVID-19

You’re up to date on your vaccinations if:

You are age 18 or older and have received all recommended vaccine doses, including boosters, OR;
You are age 5 to 17 years old and have completed the primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine AND;
More than 14 days have passed since the final dose

Follow this guidance to protect your household and lower the chances of catching and spreading COVID-19.

Whether or not you’re vaccinated

You're still required to wear a mask:
- If a healthcare setting, business, private school, camp, or other entity requires it
- In public K-12 schools or institutes of higher education as required by the town, city, or school administration
- At State-run COVID-19 testing sites and vaccination sites
- If working in a healthcare setting where suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients are treated
If you travel outside the US and US territories, learn what’s required on our travel page.
Watch for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, isolate at home, call your healthcare provider, and get a COVID-19 test.
- Got COVID-19 Symptoms? Here’s What to Do
Get treatment if you’re eligible. If you’ve tested positive, ask your doctor right away about treatment.
If you have a medical condition or are taking medications that weaken the immune system, talk to your healthcare provider about your activities. Even if you’re fully vaccinated, you may need to keep protecting yourself from COVID-19 by following the unvaccinated guidance below.

If you’re not fully vaccinated

Get vaccinated.
- You may get vaccinated if you’re 5 or older. Setting up an appointment is quick and easy.
- COVID-19 vaccines are safe, highly effective against serious illness, and reduce the risk of infecting others.
- Vaccination helps protect against COVID-19 variants by reducing their spread.
Sign up for a free test at portal.ri.gov or by calling 401-222-8022.
If Rhode Island becomes a high-risk area, wear a mask indoors near anyone you don’t live with.
Continue to take it outside. Open windows and doors to increase air flow when you’re indoors near people you don’t live with.
Stay home and apart from others if you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or if you are in quarantine or isolation. Learn more at covid.ri.gov/whattodo.
If you choose to wear a mask, make sure it’s at least two layers thick and fits snugly but comfortably over your nose, mouth, and chin without any gaps.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Or carry and use hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol.

If you’re fully vaccinated

RIDOH recommends wearing a mask indoors near anyone you don’t live with if Rhode Island becomes a high-risk area.
If you don’t have symptoms but have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, you don’t need to quarantine but you should:
- Get tested 5 days after exposure
- Wear a mask for 10 days
- Monitor for symptoms for 10 days after exposure