PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The number of coronavirus cases in Rhode Island has risen to 20, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced Saturday, and health insurers are being given new marching orders in the latest step to combat the pandemic locally.

At a noontime news conference, Raimondo said six additional confirmed or presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 had been discovered as of Saturday morning, up from 14 on Friday. (Results are considered “presumptive” until they are confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)

“This shouldn’t surprise anyone,” Raimondo said, calling it “an extraordinarily trying time.”

R.I. Health Department Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said the six new cases involve four men and two women, ranging in age from their 30s to their 70s. All are recovering at home. The cases are still being investigated, but she said some of the cases appeared to be linked to two domestic trips and one trip to Lisbon, Portugal.

Diagnostic testing capacity is continuing to grow, Alexander-Scott said. The State Health Laboratories completed “well over 100 tests” on Friday, she said, while hospital and private labs are preparing to begin doing their own tests. She acknowledged the state appears to be trending toward community spread of the virus, and next week she hopes to roll out expanded testing using primary care doctors.

In one bit of good news, the Health Department confirmed that the state’s first COVID-19 case — a faculty member at St. Raphael Academy in Pawtucket — has been discharged from the hospital.

As of noontime Saturday, 20 people in Rhode Island had tested positive or presumptive positive for the virus, while 198 had tested negative and 57 others were awaiting results, according to the Health Department. In addition, about 600 people had been asked to self-quarantine due to having direct contact with a COVID-19 patient.

Raimondo announced a number of new orders involving private and public health insurers.

They will now have to offer telemedicine coverage for primary and mental health care; banned from levying out-of-pocket charges for coronavirus testing; and cover advanced prescription refills and medical supplies so individuals can have a 30-day supply on hand. HealthSource RI is also reopening enrollment through April 15; coronavirus treatment will be covered retroactively.

The governor said she spoke Saturday morning with Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin and Episcopal Bishop Nicholas Knisely, both of whom agreed to tell worshipers they can remain home rather than attend services this weekend.

Raimondo and Alexander-Scott urged religious leaders to cancel services altogether, citing CDC guidance that suggests Americans should avoid groups of 10 or more.

“I can hear my own mother now, who’s never missed a day of Mass in her life but who’s over 60,” she said. “You have to stay home. For your own health and the health of everyone around you.”

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VIDEO NOW // Watch the full Saturday update from Gov. Raimondo and Dr. Alexander-Scott

Raimondo and Gov. Charlie Baker have declared a state of emergency in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts over coronavirus.

Raimondo announced Friday that all public schools in Rhode Island will be closed next week, moving up their April vacations. Teachers, superintendents and principals will spend the time preparing distance learning plans in case the closure needs to continue further into March. Residents are being urged to avoid physical contact, cancel gatherings of 250 people or more, and wash their hands often.

During Saturday’s briefing, Raimondo asked students who are now out of school to avoid social gatherings, saying it would “defeat the purpose” of the closure. She urged them to “hunker down” at home.

“It’s not just about you,” she said. “It’s about the fact that you will spread this to your friends and neighbors and loved ones, and we need to shut this virus down as quickly as possible.”

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VIDEO NOW // Gov. Raimondo reminds students what not to do during this time

Raimondo said she’s spoken with supermarket executives, who say they are confident they can continue to keep the shelves filled. “Buy what you need, but remember, everyone needs to eat, so be careful,” she said. “It’s not a time for hoarding.”

Providence has designated eight schools as “Grab and Go” meal sites where students can eat for free between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. while schools are closed.

In a worrying sign of the economic toll the crisis may be taking, Raimondo acknowledged the state is seeing a “rapid increase” in the number of people applying for unemployment benefits. She previously approved emergency regulations easing eligibility for those who are put out of work due to the pandemic.

The R.I. Department of Labor and Training confirmed the number of residents citing COVID-19 as their reason for needing unemployment benefits totaled 552 on Saturday, up from 10 just three days earlier.

Late Friday — hours after President Trump officially declared a national emergency over the pandemic — the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan coronavirus aid bill that includes free COVID-19 testing, sick pay for workers, and boosts to unemployment and food benefits. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed urged Republican leaders to cancel the Senate’s three-day weekend for a vote on the measure.

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RI Coronavirus Hotline: (401) 222-8022 | Work-Related Questions: (401) 462-2020 | Mental Health Assistance: (401) 414-5465

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