Pawtucket – Mayor Donald R. Grebien and the Pawtucket City Council are committed to working closely together to maintain essential services for residents and to provide all of the latest information for the health, safety and welfare of the residents and businesses in the city.

“The City greatly appreciates the residents’ support and patience as we all work through this pandemic. I thank the City Council for their leadership and partnership in ensuring that the public is protected now and in the aftermath,” said Mayor Donald R. Grebien. “We will continue focusing on providing the essential services and ensuring that they flow as smoothly as possible for our residents and businesses.”

“We will continue to work closely with Mayor Grebien’s Administration and will take any legislative action that is necessary,” said City Council President David P. Moran. “We appreciate the efforts of our City workers and the residents. We will all get through this pandemic together.”

The Administration and the Pawtucket City Council have continued to lobby for the Pawtucket community, including pushing for the reopening of the former Memorial Hospital site to treat COVID-19 patients and take the burden off of the already overcrowded hospitals. In a statement (see below), the City stated:

If the State makes the decision to reopen the Memorial Hospital site for COVID-19, the Council and Administration are ready to help in any way that we can to get this done. We are here ready to support the Governor and the Rhode Island Department of Health as well as to advocate for the needs of our community.

Among other efforts, the Administration and Council worked together to create a small business loan program using federal funding to assist businesses who have been affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will be voted on by the Pawtucket Business Development Corporation (PBDC) on Wednesday night.

The City also announced that yard waste collection would begin a week earlier on Monday, March 22, 2020. Residents are asked to place leaf bags out on their normal trash pickup day.

Furthermore, the Grebien Administration and City Council thanked the Pawtucket School Department, School Committee, teachers, and administrators who rigorously worked to ensure that the city’s public school students were ready to support distance learning for our students.

“The Administration and City Council are committed to ensuring that youth, seniors, and small businesses are looked out for during these challenging times,” said Council President Moran.

For more information about COVID-19, please visit health.ri.gov/COVID or call the R.I. Department of Health at 401-222-8022.

For businesses related information, please call the Pawtucket Commerce Department at 401-728-0500 ext. 451 or email businessassistance@pawtucketri.com.

###

Statement from the City of Pawtucket regarding Memorial Hospital Site

Thank you to everyone that has reached out requesting the opening of Memorial Hospital as it relates to the COVID-19.

Since the closure of Memorial Hospital December of 2017, the City has continued to advocate for emergency medical services in Pawtucket and the Blackstone Valley. Unfortunately, the City has no role to regulate hospitals, but it is our role to fight for the quality health services that our residents need and deserve.

In regard to the COVID-19 epidemic, we thank Governor Gina Raimondo and the Rhode Island Department of Health for their efforts and leadership throughout these challenging times. We have been in regular contact with RIDOH officials about the reopening of the former Memorial Hospital site. The City understands that they are currently considering a wide range of options when it comes to responding to the potential need for expanded access to care. The State needs to do what is best for this community.

If the State makes the decision to reopen the Memorial Hospital site for COVID-19, the Council and Administration are ready to help in any way that we can to get this done. We are here ready to support the Governor and the Rhode Island Department of Health as well as to advocate for the needs of our community.

_____________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 24, 2020

Contact: Wil Arboleda

401-728-0500 ext. 358