COVID cluster at ‘construction site’

4
Nicole Jackson

Updated 12:35 pm 

A new cluster of COVID-19 cases was reported by the Martha’s Vineyard boards of health, the Island’s first cluster in three months.

According to the boards of health report, the cluster of six cases came from a “construction site.” Tisbury health agent and boards of health spokesperson Maura Valley told The Times in an email that the cluster information was provided by contact tracers, and she did not have the worksite address.

“The positive cases worked in the construction trades for different companies, but were working at the same jobsite,” Valley wrote.

The boards of health reported 19 new cases of COVID-19 last week — a three-case increase from the previous week.

Of the new cases, 15 were reported from the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and four from TestMV. There are 15 cases being monitored by public health officials, and four that are not. Of the 19 cases, 17 are symptomatic, one had no symptoms, and one had unknown symptoms. There are 18 fully vaccinated and one unvaccinated among the 19 new cases.

So far this week, there have been 18 new cases of COVID-19 — four on Sunday, eight on Monday, and six on Tuesday.

The new cluster comes as the hospital continues to roll out booster vaccine doses for Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to anyone over the age of 18. Appointments can be made using the hospital’s online scheduling platform at covidvaccine.massgeneralbrigham.org/island.

Meanwhile, the hospital has no updates on the Omicron COVID variant at this time, according to hospital communications specialist Marissa Lefebvre. “Omicron has been classified as a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization (WHO), and we hope that people remain cautious, get vaccinated, and get their booster,” Lefebvre wrote.

Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order, effective Monday, that reduces nonessential and nonurgent scheduled procedures in hospitals or health systems with limited capacity, but the Island’s hospital is not required to delay surgeries. 

“Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is not required to delay any surgeries at this time. We are monitoring our capacity closely,” a statement from the hospital reads. “Patients should plan to attend their surgical appointments and procedures as scheduled.”

Updated with more information. — Ed.

4 COMMENTS

  1. So according to the way the media has been characterizing how the virus is spreading, that one unvaccinated person must have given it to the 18 fully vaccinated people?

    • The point is that there is a higher rate of infection, hospitalization, complications, and death in unvaccinated people. So, if one doesn’t get vaccinated, it is more likely that one will be sicker and spread it than if one were fully vaccinated. So, if someone prefers to come to the conclusion that they don’t see the point of vaccination, they are choosing the riskier scenario.

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