PROVIDENCE, RI – Today, after the Rhode Island Department of Health announced the first presumptive positive case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rhode Island, U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement:

“We’ve taken steps to prepare for this and nobody should panic.  It’s essential that people have all the facts, listen to health experts, and stay informed.

“The good news here is that this individual was in a place where there was a known outbreak and they quickly alerted authorities, limited contact with others, and sought treatment.  I am very concerned about cases popping up in other parts of the country where people haven’t been overseas and don’t know how they got it.  This is something we really need to monitor and stay on top of.  We’re all in this together and we can all do our part – frequently washing our hands, covering coughs, making sure flu shots are up to date, and doing everything possible to reduce the spread of disease.”