NEWS

Newport County's COVID cases up 22%; Rhode Island cases surge 25.9%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK

New coronavirus cases leaped in Rhode Island in the week ending Sunday, rising 25.9% as 5,374 cases were reported. The previous week had 4,268 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Rhode Island ranked first among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 21.4% from the week before, with 605,127 cases reported. With 0.32% of the country's population, Rhode Island had 0.89% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 47 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Newport County reported 361 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 296 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 21,237 cases and 93 deaths.

A COVID-related sign in Newport.

Within Rhode Island, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Bristol County with 586 cases per 100,000 per week; Kent County with 452; and Newport County with 440. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Providence County, with 2,386 cases; Kent County, with 743 cases; and Washington County, with 517. Weekly case counts rose in five counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Providence, Kent and Bristol counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Rhode Island ranked 1st among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 98.6% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Wednesday, Rhode Island reported administering another 11,586 vaccine doses, including 2,626 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 12,829 vaccine doses, including 2,226 first doses. In all, Rhode Island reported it has administered 2,222,957 total doses.

In Rhode Island, eight people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, four people were reported dead.

A total of 381,271 people in Rhode Island have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 3,552 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 82,468,606 people have tested positive and 999,602 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Rhode Island's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 15.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 161
  • The week before that: 116
  • Four weeks ago: 75

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 49,753
  • The week before that: 44,912
  • Four weeks ago: 37,527

Hospitals in 45 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 29 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 41 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.