I am heartbroken that we have lost two Rhode Islanders to Coronavirus. We extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones, and we continue to keep those who are affected by this virus in our thoughts and prayers. Today, I’m issuing a stay at home order that will be in place until April 13. This means unless you’re getting food, medicine, gas or going to work, you need to stay home.

@RIHEALTH We’re mindful that in this region, there are many people who commute across state boarders for work. If you live in RI, work in another state, and are able to work from home, we need you to do so. @RIHEALTH If you’re an RI business and have employees who live out of state, we need you to make every attempt to let them work from home.

Thank you to everyone heeding our warnings and following the rules. Please remind everyone you know to do the same. Call your family and friends. Remind them: We can’t protect you if you don’t follow the rules. This isn’t a joke. These aren’t suggestions. This is serious. By 5 pm today, all recreational and entertainment facilities as well as any close-contact business – gyms, fitness centers, hair salons, nail salons – must close. That’s in addition to dine-in restaurants.

Today, I’m announcing that I have activated the RI National Guard. By taking this action, we'll have 1,000 men & women working to train civilian medical personnel, staff our call enters, distribute food & necessities to our most vulnerable, & a number of other critical functions. Our National Guard has already been involved in our response for weeks. They were the first National Guard unit in the nation to start actively sampling for Coronavirus. As the days and weeks go on, this has become a 24/7 operation, and we need the staff to reflect that.