The coronovirus case surge on the Island continued without letup Monday, with the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reporting 23 new cases from over the weekend.
The Vineyard has been experiencing a steady surge in cases for two straight weeks, as numbers spike daily and weekly, and public health officials work around the clock to track the growing community spread of the virus. Expanded testing is back too, as demand for Covid tests surges alongside new cases.
No one is currently hospitalized with the virus, according to the hospital report Monday morning.
But as cases continue to climb steadily the hospital has mobilized its readiness plans, and among other things is now reporting daily case counts from its testing site which tests symptomatic patients. Case counts from TestMV, the free testing site at the regional high school, are reported Monday through Friday by the Island boards of health.
Also Monday a spokesman for TestMV said the site would expand its schedule, adding back Tuesdays and Thursdays as testing days due to increased demand. The testing site had cut back to three days a week at the onset of fall.
Tuesdays and Thursdays will be open for the same hours, but will be available by online registration only. On the other three days of the week, patients can schedule an appointment through the IHC call center as well as online. The only way to make an appointment for a minor is through the call center.
“Clearly the numbers are climbing,” said Mary Breslauer, a spokesman for TestMV and Island Health Care. “Drive-through, easily accessible testing is something we need to have on the Island.”
Outlining the increased demand at TestMV, she said the site conducted 865 tests three weeks ago, 900 the week after that, and 1,161 this past week, including 427 tests on Friday.
On Friday the hospital reported 122 positive cases; on Saturday the number was 124; on Sunday the case count climbed to 138. On Monday the count stood at 147. (Two cases recorded by the hospital after its Friday morning count were included in the boards of health report Friday and added to the hospital count Saturday morning.)
To date the hospital has tested 7,158 patients, with 147 positives, 6,996 negatives and 15 test results pending.
Coming in the runup to Thanksgiving week, the unabated case surge has prompted renewed calls for vigilance among public health officials, including masks and social distancing. Island public schools, which were in the throes of returning to in-person learning across all grades, have put those plans on hold for now.
Updated to include additional information from TestMV.
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November 17, 2020 at 12:34AM
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Martha's Vineyard News | Case Surge on the Vineyard Continues Unabated - The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News
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