112 new COVID cases last week

Most cases the Island has had in one week in 2021.

By
Brian Dowd
-
24
The uptick in COVID cases continues. -Nicole Jackson

Updated 2:40 pm 

There were 112 new COVID cases reported last week, the most cases through one week this year. The 294 cases so far in December are more than the 287 cases in July and August when the Island’s population swelled with seasonal visitors and daytrippers. 

Last week’s 112 cases was slightly more than the previous week’s 105 cases. The Island has seen a sharp rise in new cases since the beginning of December.

Of the 112 new cases, 71 were symptomatic, six had no symptoms, and the symptom status of 35 was unknown. Of those, 64 were fully vaccinated, 34 were not vaccinated, and the vaccination status of 14 is unknown. The majority of the cases, 81, were reported at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, 18 at TestMV, and 13 at other providers. Of the new cases, 93 are being monitored by public health officials, and 19 are not.

The new cases ranged in age. There were 12 under the age of 10, 13 aged 11 to 19, 23 in their 20s, 23 in their 30s, 13 in their 40s, six in their 50s, 17 in their 60s, and five older than 70.

Meanwhile, Martha’s Vineyard has received roughly 1,000 iHealth Labs over the counter, at-home rapid antigen tests.

The hospital currently has three COVID positive patients hospitalized. Conditions of each range from good condition, fair condition, and serious condition, according to hospital communications specialist Marissa Lefebvre.

Speaking to The Times by phone, Chilmark health agent Marina Lent said that right now there are a limited number of the state-distributed tests for people who may not be able to afford tests being sold at pharmacies. Tests are available at the Island Food Pantry, councils on aging, and town halls, according to Lent. Tests are expected to go quickly, but more have already been ordered.

Lent also said there’s hope the Island will get a boost in test kits once federal tests become available. Island Health Care, a federally qualified health center, could help distribute test kits.

The tests can be completed in 15 minutes without sending a sample to a laboratory — a valuable asset as the Island is seeing a jump in COVID cases and as people gather for the holidays.

“At this point with something that spreads as fast as delta let alone omicron, if you take two days to get your results back the horse is out of the barn,” Lent said. “Rapid tests become more and more important.

 

Updated to include information from Marissa Lefebvre. ±— ed.

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24 COMMENTS

  2. Rapid tests are important before people gather for the holiday. Please wear your mask in public– KN95 or N95 are best. Keep in mind that vaccinated, boosted people with cancer or other immune suppressing illnesses do not have as much antibody protection from serious illness that healthy vaxed and boosted people have. Wear your mask for them, children under 5, and those not able to take the vaccine for whatever reason. The booster does seem to help to fight off this very transmissable omicron so please get that (the booster) if you haven’t already.

    https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/96287

  3. Jason–there is a truly amazing site on the internet called “google” (google.com)
    I have found that if you take a direct quote and put it into the search box, it will find the source. Your quote does not come up — not at all— let alone associated with the CDC. So could you please post a link to that ?
    I get my information not from bubble gum wrappers or infowars , I get a good bit of it from
    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/. Of course I also get my information from other sources like the CDC or the WHO — I have never seen any of these accused of partisan politics or erroneous information.
    According to them. (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/ )– — On Nov 2 2021 1447 Americans died form Covid 19 .. On November 12 2021 the United states recorded 852 deaths of Americans– Within the borders of the United States. Yesterday( Dec 20 2021) there were 1,811 deaths from Covid 19 in the United States.
    As for cases — On Oct 17 2021, the United States hit a recent low point of 54,824 new cases that day.. Yesterday — the United States recorded 181, 264 new cases..
    Actually, Jason, it is all that bad despite the best efforts of the right wing lying entertainment networks.

    • Lousy grammar is always a clue that fake information is being shared. “There’s 10,500 fewer people…” It should be THERE ARE 10,500 FEWER PEOPLE… The CDC writers are not a bunch of poorly educated dopes. Gotta get your plurals to agree with your verbs, ye merry Trumpers, liars, and all-around dopes.

      Thanks for picking up on the BS, Don.

      • Don and Jac, you two are hilarious. It’s quite comical to get you all riled up. The rest of the country is moving on whether you like it or not. There will never be zero Covid, so be prepared to wear your masks and stay home forever.

    • Witty riposte, Jason. To win the match you need to validate your quote from the CDC. Otherwise it’s a draw, which tips to the loudest voice.

      • Seriously? You’re complimenting yourself? You can fool some of the people some of the time, but truth prevails in the end.

    • Jason– thanks for the link about dealing with anxiety.
      But it seems your original quote from the CDC has been removed. Perhaps because it was not accurate .
      I wonder why you think that people who are concerned about this are suffering from some “irrational fear”. I for one am living my life life fairly normally. I were a mask when I go into a public place , and for the first time since May, the poker game I play in was cancelled due to covid, and the fact that everyone could not come up with a rapid home test.
      I am also travelling to Barbados in less than a month. I, and just about everyone else who is paying attention at all knows that we are not going to have zero cases anytime in the foreseeable future, if ever. The constant drum beat from the right wing medial telling their cultist followers that “liberals think this or liberals think that ” is totally bogus.
      It is quite rational to take simple precautions given the high numbers of new cases recently on the island.
      What is “irrational” is to say that the rest of the country is moving on and attempt to mock people who are taking reasonable precautions.
      I hate to repeat myself about the numbers, but they are rising so quickly I feel compelled.
      What is “irrational” is to ignore numbers like this ;
      In the United States, on Dec 23 2021 there were:
      267,269 new cases of covid reported– only Jan 7th and 8th 2021 had a higher count. Those
      records will fall before new years day.
      The 7 day moving average was 188,279 new cases. Only surpassed in that same week in January.
      There are currently 10,989,003 active cases in the U.S -An all time high — That’s not a typo — nearly 11 million active cases.
      On Dec 23 2021, 1,149 Americans died from covid. — Not “with covid” — FROM covid .
      The 7 day moving average is 1,270, and has been over one thousand a day since December first.
      https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/.

      You should look up what “irrational” means…
      Merry Christmas

  5. “But it seems your original quote from the CDC has been removed. ”

    The CDC does this all the time—takes down pages, changes their guidance, and tweaks the info published at their website.

    It’s a hoot, how eager so many are to accept official info sources.

    But the idea that it is some kind of thought crime for citizens to question their elected and unelected representatives and civil *servants* is a twist spread, most recently, by a virus.

    • Don’t get so excited, Katherine. It was a fake quote, NOT from the CDC. Did you know that antivaxers, conspiracy theorists, and people who spread covid lies are quickly and easily discovered here?

    • There is no such thing as thoughtcrime, Katherine. Like the removed quote, that exists only as a work of fiction. Everyone is free to think absolutely anything they like. When they start acting on those thoughts and get innocent people killed by willfully spreading disease, that’s different. It’s a disgrace.

      Most of what the CDC has posted remains up and unchanged. Yes, they have occasionally tweaked their guidance when data points in a helpful direction. Good. That’s precisely, exactly how science is supposed to work — you learn more as time passes and then apply it. People who cannot accept this concept had the most unreasonable expectations of what a global pandemic would look like from the jump. They demanded instant answers and perfection.

      That’s just not possible. It’s almost as if there are countless bits of information to sort through and adapt with as nature continues to take its course and billions of humans in motion toss in trillions of variables.

    • Katherine– when I replied to Jason and said “But it seems your original quote from the CDC has been removed. ”
      I was being polite, and keeping within the guidelines of the Time’s comment policy.
      Let me put it a little more bluntly— Jason’s quote was never on the CDC site. NEVER
      It was a flat out fabricated lie.
      I find your quote “It’s a hoot, how eager so many are to accept official info sources” to be the real hoot.
      We have institutions and organizations that have thousands of highly educated, well trained dedicated workers who are working with the cutting edges of technology, and about 40% of the population thinks they are liars trying to control us and make money.
      There are new conspiracy theories every day that have no basis in fact, but a significant portion of the population believe them.
      Let me remind you of a few;
      The world trade center was brought down by a controlled demolition.
      Obama is a Muslim and wants to impose Sharia law. And take our guns of course…
      Hillary Clinton sells children to cannibalistic pedophiles.
      trump will make America great again
      climate change is not caused by humans
      A horse de wormer will cure covid
      we should inject bleach to cure covid
      sticking a flashlight in your lungs will cure it
      trump won the election
      Migrants coming across the southern border are not tested or offered a vaccination for covid
      There are microchips in the vaccine
      There are aborted fetal cells in the vaccine
      the vaccine is in salad dressing
      Anthony Fauci created covid
      George Soros has lasers in space that he uses to start forest fires.
      And I can go on and on—-

      The question, Katherine, is who should a rational person believe ?
      No one has the idea that it is some kind of “thought crime” for citizens to question their elected and unelected representatives and civil servants.
      Both sides of the political spectrum routinely do that, and you can believe “Bobby” tweeting about the wonders of horse pills and vitamin D from his mom’s basement if you want– no problem.
      You can believe anything you want. But if you do get covid (which I certainly hope you do not) you can go to the vet and get whatever you want. Shine a flashlight down your throat if you think it will help. You are free to pray all you want to whatever god you want and ask your friends to pray with you and for you . And you can criticize our elected and unelected officials all you want. Stand up for your rights and beliefs.
      I would simply ask that if you get sick ,show the rest us some respect. —– PLEASE don’t go to the hospital where all those hard working “civil *servants*” are and take an ICU bed away from someone who respects the science and the hero’s that are doing their best to help whoever comes through the door.

      • Don, isn’t it odd how antivaxers jump through hoops to avoid admitting they believe the thoroughly debunked lies about the covid vaccine, but know enough not to come out and admit they are antivaxers anyway? They walk all around the lies. And then some continue to spread lies under a made-up name using made-up quotes. Not really a hoot when it comes to boldfaced lies. I can’t imagine going so far as to write letters to newspapers claiming there are legitimate reasons to avoid the jab, in addition to medical contraindications and (bogus) religious excuses, and then be too cowardly to spell out what those “additional” reasons are. This sort of intentional dishonesty is dangerous and malicious, and certainly nothing to hoot about.

  6. Regarding the “religious” exemptions to getting the covid vaccination, here is a good analysis why it is so bogus in most all cases.

    The reality is that Americans “were granted a miracle drug, and tens of milions rerfused to take it (or take eough of it).”
    “There is no version of the Golden Rule that would recommend Christian resistance to basic public health measures during a pandemic This is heresy compounded by lunacy.” ~Michael Gerson

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/30/vaccine-resistance-evangelical-christianity/

      • Out of context, John. My statement was clearly aimed at the false CDC quote posted by “Jason”. Read my comment again. The point is that fake covid information is not allowed here, so Jason’s comment was removed. Reading skills count more than pointing out typos when it comes to recognizing and exposing covid lies and those who spread them.

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