This Just In: Judge upholds RI vaccine mandate; don't throw a snowball in Warwick

Also, hope for the future of Rose Nulman Park. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Friday, January 7 [Hundreds gather at the RI State House to protest imposed vaccine mandates. [The Providence Journal/Bob Breidenbach]]( [Judge upholds RI vaccine mandate; don't throw a snowball in Warwick]( Also, hope for the future of Rose Nulman Park. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. I start today by wishing a very happy birthday to my wife, Christine, who is kind of everything to me. Today was pretty much the ideal snow day. [We had plenty of warning to stay off the roads]( the snow came overnight and was gone by noon, and there wasn't much wind to speak about. In terms of total snowfall, though, some places got more than expected – [particularly in the northwest corner of the state]( where they always seem to get more snow than expected. I live in Warwick, so if one of my kids throws a snowball at me today, [I'm calling the cops]( The Rhode Island Department of Health today reported nine more coronavirus-related deaths and 5,956 additional cases of COVID-19, along with 23,647 negative tests, for a 20.1% positive rate. Those are pretty terrible numbers except for one thing: the number of new cases and the test positivity are both lower than what was reported yesterday. After two weeks in which each day's report has been dramatically worse than the one from the day before, that seems mildly encouraging. There were 445 COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals at last count, up from 434 reported yesterday, with 54 in intensive care. According to [The New York Times' coronavirus case tracker]( Rhode Island is once again the state with the highest rate of new infections over the last seven days (through yesterday). New York had taken over that distinction late in December. A federal judge [has refused to block Rhode Island's vaccine mandate]( for health-care workers, which went into effect last fall. U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy's decision came on the same day that the Supreme Court [heard arguments]( in a case involving President Joe Biden's federal mandate covering large employers nationwide.  The Health Department [has shortened the quarantine period for K-12 students and teachersÂ]( test positive for the coronavirus, and says that the idea of "test to stay" is transforming to "monitor to stay." The entrance to the beautiful Rose Nulman Park in Narragansett is now blocked off by boulders, after the foundation that runs the site on a seaside bluff determined that it was imperiled by erosion. But the DEM says there is hope that [the park might be conserved and reopened for public use]( A Woonsocket woman with a history of past drunken-driving arrests [is now charged with DUI, death resulting]( in a crash a month ago that killed a Providence man. Over the years we've frequently had reporters cover one of the New Year's Day "polar plunges," but Amy Russo is probably the first to enter the icy water herself. [Here's what it was like]( This week's Walking RI destination [features 90-foot cliffs]( that offer sweeping views of coastal land in Tiverton. This weekend should be the first weekend of the NFL playoffs, but instead we have an 18th week of mostly meaningless regular-season games. The Patriots look almost certain to finish as a wildcard team no matter what they do against Miami on Sunday, which is a big improvement from last year. Mark Daniels says winning the free-agent market And finally, if you're going to a P-Bruins game anytime soon, you may get to see a big name in goal. Tuukka Rask, the former Boston starter, is trying to make his way back to the NHL, and [he'll be wearing the spoked P]( for the first time in 13 years. Have a great [weekend. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In,]( encourage a friend to sign up. [Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.]( [click here]( Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( © 2022 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902