COVID-19 Information
Now scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for ages 12+
Now scheduling COVID-19 vaccine appointments for ages 12+
Care New England has started administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible patients across Rhode Island.
At this time, you must meet the Rhode Island Department of Health guidelines* which state that you must provide proof that you're a Rhode Island resident, work, or go to school in Rhode Island and also be at least 12 years old to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Click here to view current Rhode Island eligibility >>
Due to the high demand for COVID-19 vaccines and the current limited supply of doses, an appointment may not be immediately available. Please check back frequently as additional appointment slots may become available.
*No cost will be billed to any patient with or without insurance.
We are honored to continue serving the community in these difficult times and humbled by the many kind words support and gratitude we have received. Thank you for your support, your generosity, and for making a difference to so many.
A cloth face covering should be worn whenever people must go into public settings. Please wear one when coming to the hospital, your doctor’s office, or other public places such as grocery stores or pharmacies.
This is an additional public health measure people should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in addition to (not instead of) social distancing, frequent hand cleaning, and other everyday preventive actions. A cloth face covering is not intended to protect the wearer, but may prevent the spread of the virus from the wearer to others. This would be especially important in the event that someone is infected but does not have symptoms.
Care New England and affiliated hospitals continue to keep our guard up against COVID-19 and other infections. We participate in the Safer Together program by working with Sodexo along with Mr. Clean Professional, Clorox Health Care, and PURELL to support enhanced safety measures at all times.
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This virus probably originally emerged from an animal source but now is spreading from person-to-person. Most often this happens among close contacts (about 6 feet). Person-to-person spread is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. It’s currently unclear if a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. Typically, with most respiratory viruses, people are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest), but data suggests that people may be able to spread coronavirus when they have few or NO symptoms. This spread can occur from droplets that one exhales or emits into the atmosphere when breathing or sneezing. This form of transmission is the reason that the CDC now recommends use of non-medical face masks to decrease the spread of the virus from people who have no symptoms.
It may also be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, like a table top or packaging container, that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. In general, because of poor survivability of the virus on many surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging. Nevertheless, it is always recommended that you wash your hands after touching surfaces, and that you do so after unpacking and disposing of food packaging.
There is currently no vaccine or medication to prevent COVID-19 infection, though there is a great deal of active research investigating these possibilities. The CDC recommends some basic everyday guidance:
The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.The Safer Together program includes enhanced cleaning, disinfecting & sanitizing protocols to help visitors and patients feel more confident when returning to hospitals. New protocols include enhanced frequency of cleaning, top trusted brands used to clean, disinfect, and sanitize, and increased staffing to clean throughout common areas.
Do these measures make you feel safer?
Hospitals who have adopted the Safer Together program are also encouraged to follow the expert guidance from the CDC to help prevent visitors from transmitting viruses, including SARS-CoV-19. These include proper social distancing, frequent hand washing and/or sanitizing, having employees stay home when ill and self quarantine after exposure to COVID-19, and maintain enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Following these guidelines helps ensure a good defense against transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
Learn more about each of the hospital's restrictions: