Updated
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 skyrocketed last week with the Martha’s Vineyard boards of health reporting 101 new cases between March 28 and April 3.
The 101 new cases are more than double the 47 new cases reported during the week of March 21 to 27 and more than the next highest weekly total this year which was 99 cases reported during the first week of January.
Clusters of cases continue to appear and grow across the Island with a new seven-case cluster connected to the Barn Bowl & Bistro — four staff members and three family members. On Monday, boards of health spokesperson Maura Valley reported that there were nine cases, but said Tuesday two individuals were incorrectly entered into the database.
According to a Facebook post, the Barn restaurant remains closed for the next few days. A cluster at Shirley’s Hardware has grown to six cases and a cluster of cases linked to King’s Barbershop grew to eight.
The Island has had five other clusters including an October wedding (eight cases), Cronig’s Market (19 cases), a Bible study group (11 cases), MV Hospital (five cases), and Project Headway (four cases).
A cluster is defined as more than two people from different families or households with a shared source of infection.
In total, there have been 1,097 confirmed positive results on the Island since testing began in March — 547 males and 550 females. There have also been 61 probable cases — 35 male and 26 female. There have been 398 cases — 36 percent of the total — that have been linked to at least one other case. In most instances those involved family members or small social groups.
The hospital has now administered 15,621 tests, with 782 positive results. There have been 14,764 negative tests and there are 67 results pending.
Meanwhile, TestMV, which is located in the parking lot at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, has now administered 35,022 tests, with 291 positive results, 35,409 negative results, and 322 tests pending.
The town of Aquinnah has conducted 444 self-administered tests, of which one has come back positive, 441 negative, and two pending results.
The Martha’s Vineyard public schools have administered 9,469 tests. Of those, seven have tested positive.
The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has reported a total of seven positive cases of COVID-19.
Due to how tests are conducted, there can be a discrepancy between the number of positive individuals and the number of positive tests reported.
Meanwhile, as of Friday, the hospital has administered more than 11,000 total vaccine doses — 6,853 first doses, and 5,524 second doses.
Vaccine eligibility expanded Monday to those ages 55 and older. The next round of vaccine appointments at the hospital will be made available for sign-up on Saturday, April 10, at 8 am. Eligible individuals can sign up at bit.ly/mvhospitalvaccine.
Those eligible for vaccines include those over the age of 60, individuals over 18 with two chronic health conditions, adults working in public and private senior housing, K-12 educators and staff, child care workers, and workers in the following categories: restaurants, cafes, food, agriculture, retail, food service, grocery, convenience stores, food pantries, transit, public works, sanitation, public health, court system, and funeral services.
Updated to correct information provided by the boards of health on Tuesday.
