The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Rhode Island
- Level
- Sector regulator
- Authority
- R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 23-1-1, 23-1-17; § 23-1-25 (penalties); emergency rulemaking under § 42-35-2.10
- Issued
- 2021-08-17 Aug. 17, 2021
- Effective
- 2021-08-17
- End
- Emergency rule re-filed Feb. 10, 2022; ineffective Mar. 13, 2022 or when superseded (per the Secretary of State's filing note referencing EO 22-14) (read as 2022-02-10)
- In force
- Aug. 17, 2021 to Feb. 10, 2022
- Quarters
- 2021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Face-covering requirementHealth care ordersWorkplace rulesVaccination or testing
- Addressees
- every health care worker in a licensed health care facility (hospitals, nursing facilities, assisted living, adult day care, clinical laboratories, home care and hospice agencies and every other facility under § 23-17-2)
- every licensed health care provider (physicians, dentists, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, EMS practitioners, psychologists and others)
- health care facilities as employers
- Functions reached
- HR credentialing and staffing of every health care employer
- IC twice-weekly testing and masking of unvaccinated staff from Aug. 24, 2021
- WF
- CH dental chairside staff
- HC home-care aides
- RS nursing and assisted-living staff
- Collection
- Rhode Island RI
Operative words
8.3(A).... all health care workers in licensed health care facilities and health care providers who are not vaccinated must, as applicable, comply with the following: 1. Until October 1, 2021, all health care workers who are not vaccinated shall be required to wear a procedure mask or higher-grade mask (e.g., KN95 or N95) in the course of their employment while inside a health care facility and shall be required to be tested at least two (2) times per week for COVID-19... 3. By October 1, 2021, all health care workers and health care providers must be vaccinated, subject to a medical exemption... (C). As of October 1, 2021, health care facilities shall deny entrance to any health care workers who are not vaccinated, subject to a medical exemption... 8.4(A). Health care facilities and health care providers that violate any provisions of this Part are subject to administrative action by the Department, and any other action provided for under applicable law and regulations, including R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-1-25, in addition to any action against the professional and/or facility license, as applicable. Health care facilities shall have seven (7) days from the promulgation of this Part to implement measures necessary to ensure compliance with health care worker testing requirements.
Enforcement
Administrative action and penalties under R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-1-25; action against professional and facility licenses; facilities must deny entrance to unvaccinated workers from Oct. 1, 2021
Notes
Rhode Island's health-care-worker vaccination mandate, filed Aug. 17, 2021 on a finding that transmission had risen from 11.2 to more than 187 cases per 100,000 between July 4 and Aug. 17, 2021; the testing-and-masking regime bound every health care employer in the third quarter of 2021 and the vaccination deadline fell on its first day after the quarter.