Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is announcing that Rhode Island is pausing administration of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine as federal partners continue gathering more information. No Janssen appointments had been scheduled for release today. RIDOH is directing vaccinators that had made Janssen vaccination appointments to not administer those doses. Additional information will be shared shortly regarding people who had already made appointments for Janssen vaccine. No information reported to RIDOH has indicated that Janssen vaccine represents a health or safety concern. However, RIDOH is taking this step in alignment with federal partners.
Vaccine eligibility for ages 16 and older People ages 16 and older who live, work, or go to school in Rhode Island are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. If you are eligible, you can schedule an appointment at a State-run vaccination site by visiting www.vaccinateRI.org starting April 19. People ages 16 – 17 must sign up for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. For help, call 844-930-1779 or 211. Visit C19vaccineri.org for more information.
Information for Businesses As the State reopens, all business guidance and industry-specific reopening materials are available at www.reopeningRI.com. Information about economic support and COVID-19 guidance for businesses can be found at the RI Commerce website or by calling 521-HELP (521-4357). On-site Business Testing Program This program provides Rhode Island businesses with rapid COVID-19 test kits and the training they need so they can conduct regular testing of employees. The employer agrees to train its team, conduct the tests, and report results to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH.) For more information, call the Business Testing Contact Center at 888-662-4354 or email [email protected]. This contact center is open on weekdays from 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM and on weekends from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Reporting Positive Cases to RIDOH If your business has identified positive cases of COVID-19, please complete this RIDOH COVID-19 Business Report Form. For uploading lists of multiple employees at once, use this form. This reporting protocol only applies to businesses with cases among employees, and excludes healthcare facilities and congregate care sites. Report positive cases as soon as possible so RIDOH may better assist you in preventing the rapid spread of illness in your workplace and in the community. Providing us with timely and accurate information is essential to preventing continued spread of this virus. Returning to Work Information If you have COVID-19, you can end isolation and return to work after these three things have happened: At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared (20 days if you are immunocompromised*) and You have had no fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and Your symptoms have improved. If you tested positive but never had symptoms, you must isolate for 10 days from the date that you were tested (20 days if you are immunocompromised*). *Review more detailed guidance on quarantine and isolation for different populations. Except for rare situations, after testing positive, you do not need to get another test for COVID-19 to end isolation. RIDOH Letter Requests: Rhode Islanders who need to provide verification of their quarantine status, isolation status, or test results may request a letter by submitting this online form. Letters will be sent by email and are usually ready in 72 hours. Instructions Types of Letters Financial Support for Employees Talk to your employees about any resources that may be available to them during COVID-19. Relief for Workers - If workers need to stay home because of COVID-19, there are resources for them. Do not have employees come into work if they are are sick. More Rhode Island Commerce, Relief for Employees English | Spanish Unemployment Insurance Fact Sheet English and Spanish | American Sign Language Unemployment Insurance, COVID-19 Resources: Frequently Asked Questions English
