The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is sharing reminders on how to stay healthy this holiday season. Don't forget the three "V"s: Vaccinate. Ventilate. Visit Safely. Rhode Island continues to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recommends extra caution to protect your loved ones, especially those 65 and older, this holiday season. The Omicron variant is in Rhode Island and is more contagious than previous variants. People age 65 or older and people who have weakened immune systems are at particularly high risk.
Vaccinate. Getting vaccinated and getting a booster dose helps protect you from serious illness and hospitalization. Booster doses are critical to protect against variants like Omicron. To find a vaccination site, visit C19VaccineRI.org.
To help Rhode Islanders access COVID-19 vaccines and boosters this holiday season, State-supported vaccination sites like 100 Sockanosset Cross Road in Cranston and 585 Taunton Avenue in East Providence have re-opened and are offering vaccinations through next week. Sockanosset is offering vaccine appointments Monday, December 27 through Thursday, December 30. East Providence is offering vaccine appointments on Monday, December 27 and Wednesday, December 29. Make an appointment at VaccinateRI.org.
Vaccination sites are available across the State. To find a site that is convenient for you, a full list of providers is available at C19VaccineRI.org.
Ventilate. If you'll be spending time indoors with others, try to keep your gatherings small and keep windows open at least two inches for good ventilation. Visit safely. To provide you and your loved ones with further protection against COVID-19 over the holidays, wear masks in crowded public places and consider wearing masks around people who live outside of your household. The quality of your mask does matter. Wear a high-quality mask. This could be a KN-95 mask or another mask that has two or more layers of fabric. To be effective, the mask must completely cover your nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of your face. For help selecting the right mask, visit covid.ri.gov/masks.