Kaicie Boeglin
Opinions Editor
PROVIDENCE, R.I., -- Raimondo, insisting on no large gatherings all year, aims to fine halloween party goers this season.
During a special news briefing Raimondo said, “If you do have a party, you could be fined $500 per person at your party, and individuals at your party can be fined, and the R.I. State Police is tripling its enforcement presence around Halloween.”
The state-issued hotline for large gatherings is how RI State Police plan to crack down on parties. Lt. Col. Kevin Barry explained to various news outlets such as Turn to 10 and WPRI 12 that this hotline will be the epicenter for tricks and treats this year. As the force triples the threat, Raimondo hopes that the enforcement of the fines will keep the gatherings at ease, as well as the younger population under control.
Raimondo had said students at Providence College and URI are “hurting people because of selfishness,” due to their excessive partying. Currently, Rhode Island has topped a million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began in March.
Lt. Barry went on to coincide with Raimondo’s hopes, as he informed reporters that the state should be aware of the rules by now. According to the current Rhode Island stature a large gathering is anything with 16 people or more. Groups of 15 and smaller are permitted as long as they adhere to social distancing measures and wear masks.
The governor has also asserted that trick-or-treating will be allowed for children, as long as groups are small and the children wear masks; however, the events are required to end by nightfall. The closure of events by nightfall will help to ensure the state will be calm, collected and indoors, pausing the growing peak in coronavirus cases. Although most parties tend to take place at night, Lt. Barry claimed that troopers will be paying attention to the large gatherings hotline all throughout the day.
Governor Raimondo is serious about her intent to produce fines for this halloween season. She ended her short monologue on parties with the same simple message, “cancel them.”