Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) are announcing that approximately 12,000 additional COVID-19 vaccination appointments will be posted on www.vaccinateRI.org on Friday at 5 p.m.

“Tomorrow, we’ll be releasing the largest batch of vaccine appointments in Rhode Island to date,” said Governor Dan McKee. “This is great news for our efforts to get as many shots in arms as quickly as possible. I encourage Rhode Islanders to make a plan to get vaccinated when they become eligible.”

Vaccine is currently available statewide for people who are 60 to 64, people who are 16 to 64 with certain underlying health conditions, and people who were previously eligible in Phase 1. On Monday, people 50 to 59 years of age will be eligibility to register to get vaccinated at vaccination sites in Rhode Island. More information about eligibility is available online.

Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp. Although not the founder or original owner, Belmore has been with What'sUpNewp since its early beginnings in 2012.

Belmore was born in Providence, Rhode Island; grew up and graduated high school in Coventry, Rhode Island; and lived in Newport, Rhode Island for more than ten years. He currently serves as Vice President of the Board Of Directors for Fort Adams Trust and on the Board of Directors for Potter League For Animals.

He and his wife, Jen, as well as their two dogs (Aero and June), recently moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Belmore travels back and forth to Newport every couple of weeks to cover events, work on story ideas, to meet with What'sUpNewp's on-the-ground contributors, to visit friends, and to eat as much seafood as possible.

Belmore is a member of Local Independent Online News Publishers, Society of Professional Journalists, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.