This Just In: Not a good way for Rhode Island to stand alone

Also, Isaias arrives on anniversary of another memorable storm [View email with images]( [Providence Journal] Tuesday August 4, 2020 [Subscribe Now]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Providence Journal]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. While most in the Northeast enjoy relatively unhindered travel freedom, Rhode Islanders are about to find themselves increasingly confined to their own borders. Thanks to the recent upswing in positive cases in Rhode Island, travelers from the Ocean State [will have to quarantine for 14 days]( after entering New York, New Jersey or Connecticut. This will apply to Rhode Island residents as well as anyone returning after spending at least 24 hours here -- which could lead to tourists canceling travel plans in Rhode Island. Rhode Island is the only state north of Maryland that is on the tri-state area's coordinated quarantine list. That might not be the end of the bad news: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said today that adding Rhode Island to its quarantine list is "under active discussion." Rhode Island on Tuesday [reported 123 new cases of coronavirus]( and one death. The latest case numbers, while substantial, bring Rhode Island comfortably below the threshold that New York, New Jersey and Connecticut use to make up their quarantine lists -- however, today's decision was based on data through yesterday, and won't be revisited for another week. Bryant University is committed [to spending $3 million on weekly testing of all students, faculty and staff](. Results are promised within 24 hours, It's nothing like what happened early in the spring, but Rhode Island healthcare providers [are struggling to build up stockpiles of personal protective equipment]( as they worry about a potential surge of new cases in the fall. The pandemic is forcing local eateries [to rethink]( -- but not abandon -- the concept of restaurant week. [Subscribe to The Providence Journal]( [The winds are starting to pick up]( outside as Tropical Storm Isaias moves closer to southern New England. The storm is expected to pass to the west of us, bringing mostly gusty wind and rough surf to Rhode Island. The storm arrives on the fifth anniversary of [a microburst]( that came out of nowhere early on a Tuesday morning, with 80-mph wind gusts that felled huge trees across a swath of the state. My memories of that morning involve deciding that I did not feel like going for my usual morning run at 6 a.m., when weather conditions were fine. A half-hour later, the sky had turned an odd green color and I was holed up with my family in my basement, awaiting the passage of what I thought was a tornado. It seems like we've been reporting these kinds of stories too much lately. A [63-year-old Glocester man died Monday]( in a crash involving a car and a motorcycle; also Monday, a 19-year-old from Warwick [was pronounced dead]( of injuries from a single-car crash Sunday night. It's been a while since we've had [a Patriots quarterback competition]( but we have one this year, and players say they're excited about it. Editorial comment: If this becomes a regular thing, Patriots fans won't be excited about it much longer. Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, please [encourage a friend to sign up](. providencejournal.com [Facebook]( [Twitter]( You are receiving this communication as a member of the Providence Journal. Providence Journal values your online privacy. For more information, view our [privacy policy]( now. Please do not reply to this message. [Manage Preferences or Unsubscribe]( Providence Journal 75 Fountain Street Providence, RI 02902 © 2020 Providence Journal. All rights reserved.