COVID on the rise in Massachusetts

Island has seen small uptick in cases over the past few weeks.

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Demand for tests is up resulting in a backlog of results nationwide. — Lexi Pline

Massachusetts has seen a slight increase in positive COVID-19 tests, according to Gov. Baker.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference Thursday, Baker said there have been a few clusters of cases related to parties and others not complying with mask and social distancing orders.

“I can’t express this enough,” Baker said. “Don’t be careless or complacent. Wear a face covering, socially distance…We must do our part as individuals, as families, and as communities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Martha’s Vineyard has also seen an uptick in cases in recent weeks.

The total confirmed case count on Martha’s Vineyard sits at 52, based on reports from the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH), Island boards of health, the TestMV site, and the Aquinnah laboratory testing site.

So far, 9,252 total tests have been performed on-Island, with 8,172 tests coming back negative, and 1,028 pending tests.

The hospital reported no new COVID-19 cases Thursday, with the total number of confirmed cases remaining at 37.

In total, the hospital has tested 2,901 patients for COVID-19. Of those, 2,807 tests have come back negative, with 57 pending tests. There are currently no hospitalizations due to COVID at MVH.

The TestMV site reports 6,566 total tests performed, with 5,427 negatives, 15 positives, and 1,124 tests still pending. According to the TestMV website, due to high demand for COVID-19 molecular testing nationwide, results for TestMV asymptomatic patients will now be available in seven or more days. First responders and health care workers can continue to expect results within one to two days.

The Island boards of health report one new confirmed positive case, having conducted 17 antibody tests. 

The Aquinnah laboratory so far has conducted 69 tests, with 65 total negatives and four pending tests. 

The total number of cases, including presumptive (positive tests, antibody tests, and symptomatic positives), has risen to 72. 

The MVH, the town of Aquinnah, boards of health, and TestMV, the testing site at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, each report their own testing numbers. Those numbers are then all compiled by the boards of health. The actual number of cases can be difficult to count due to lag time and overlaps in testing each day.

After a rise in cases recently, hospital CEO Schepici said she attributes that to people arriving on-Island and getting tested. “More density, more tests, more cases,” Schepici said Wednesday. When asked if the hospital has preparations in place to pull back services like it did at the outset of the pandemic, Schepici said she hopes that the numbers will not go in that direction, and those extreme circumstances will not present themselves. “But we do have plans in place if the numbers drive us in that direction,” Schepici said.

According to Schepici, the last nine cases reported by the hospital have been in the younger age range, from age 18 to 25, although none of those people were hospitalized.

“I understand everyone wants to be free and just have a great time, but it just isn’t the time for that,” Schepici said.

10 COMMENTS

  1. The more one tests the more cases one is going to get. All of us might get Covid in time just as all of us have had the flu. How many are severe, how many require hospitalization, how many recover and how many die and what demographic dies? These seem to be the questions asked and answered before someone walking on Lamberts Beach without a mask is harassed. We are not in grave danger as someone recently said.

    • Andrew- does it matter what demographic dies?? Dead is Dead. Should we sacrifice the elderly and high risk? NO.
      We should be testing, anyone who needs it because in my opinion, this is going to be around for at least a couple of years maybe 5, if, we don’t get a vaccine that works properly.
      Look at the history of pandemics. Everyone should be wearing masks right now and for those that believe otherwise….you are fools.

      • Yes it does matter proudamerican. Just as it matters if I jump out of airplanes, or am promisuous, or walk around Baltimore at midnight, or inject opiates. Yes it does matter that people try to find out who is most vulnerable, who is likely to get it. How many test positive and what happens to them. Yes it matters. I had hip replacement surgery in March and researched the heck out of it BEFORE I had it. I chose a certain type of replacement. No one is talking about sacrificing the elderly. They are talking about protecting the most vulnerable but not stressing that anyone can get it. Yes anyone can get it but it is highly unlikely, and not that many groups will be ill from it. I can get male breast cancer but the likelihood is small. Your ”dead is dead” statement is without meaning.

      • The eldery/ obese / high risk can isolate and self quarantine. You DONT quarantine healthy people!!!

    • So…the cases don’t exist if they are not counted? If I have 10 cows hidden away and the ACO comes to count my stock do I not have 10 sheep anyway?

  2. Smart people want to know who has has it.
    Smart people want to minimize their transmision.
    Smart people know that for 154,000 people, and counting, it is severe, requires hospitalization and causes death.
    When it comes to death what difference do demographics make?
    Dead is dead.

    Smart people wear masks.
    Trump wears a mask.
    Is Andrew smart?

    Someone recently said that 154, 000 Americans are no longer in grave danger.
    Because they are in graves.
    Safe and sound underground, or up in smoke.

    • 6% of 154k dead had no other comorbidities. You know what that means ??? 94% of the deaths had another underlying health issue.
      America was SICK long before this virus. And the virus is exploiting this.

      • 154, 000 are dead of Covid – 19.
        So say medical professionals.
        Almost all of them had other medical concerns.
        People who had knee surgery rescheduled due to Covid – 19, but died of Covid – 19 should not be counted as a Covid – 19 death.
        They had a preexisting condition .

  3. Two months ago, before the relaxing of restrictions and before the Island was opened to tourism, Andrew and Drive2 would undoubtedly have been complaining about imminent economic disaster. Now they debate the demographics of who is vulnerable and suggest the vulnerable should self quarantine while the less vulnerable ignore the mask directive and other sensible precautions MEANT TO PROTECT OTHERS. The vulnerable people are trying their best to avoid social interactions that might be harmful. They shouldn’t have to be exposed, when grocery shopping or going to the drug store or buying gasoline, to a maskless idiot who thinks the virus won’t affect him or her. What rock have you people been under? The main point of the masks and social distancing is to protect others who are or may be vulnerable. That’s part of being an unselfish, civilized person. But if that simple truth doesn’t resonate, what surely will is all the tourists leaving the Island if careless and selfish behavior causes a spike in cases. And the blame will fall squarely on those who couldn’t withstand a slight personal inconvenience. Shame on you.

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