Coronavirus

7:42pm, May 26, 2020

Tisbury Sets Annual Town Meeting for June 13, a Saturday

The Tisbury annual town meeting is set for Saturday, June 13, selectmen confirmed Tuesday.

6:17pm, May 26, 2020

One New Case Confimed Tuesday, Ending Nine-Day Lull

The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported one new coronavirus case on the Island Tuesday, ending a nine-day stretch with no new cases.

4:41pm, May 26, 2020

Holiday Weekend Sees Soft Opening

Sparse ferry traffic, sleepy harbors, quiet streets and an unprecedented pandemic: the Vineyard experienced its slowest Memorial Day in recent memory.

May 25, 2020, 4:46pm

No New Cases; Island Health Officials Remain Vigilant

Martha’s Vineyard health officials reported no new coronavirus cases for the ninth straight day Monday

May 25, 2020, 6:04am

Martha’s Vineyard Celebrates Memorial Day With Flags Flying, Quiet Solemnity

Light crowds and every kind of weather were the hallmarks of the holiday weekend on the Vineyard this year, with fishermen hitting the shorelines from Menemsha to Chapaquiddick, day sailors tacking about out in protected harbors and small groups strolling downtown streets. Today is Memorial Day.

May 23, 2020, 5:32pm

Windemere Testing Turns Up No Positive Cases Among Residents, Staff

A comprehensive coronavirus testing program for about 100 residents and staff at Windemere has returned nearly perfect results.

May 23, 2020, 8:06am

MVYouth Grants $150,000 to Child Care Providers

An emergency fund established by MVYouth to support early childcare providers on the Vineyard has awarded $150,000, the organization announced.

May 22, 2020, 6:03pm

SSA Closes Oak Bluffs Terminal After Seastreak Employee Reports Covid Contact

The Oak Bluffs terminal building was abruptly closed Friday afternoon after the report from a shoreside employee for the ferry Seastreak.

May 22, 2020, 4:16pm

Coronavirus Testing Project Ramps Up on the Vineyard

Quest Diagnostics, Island Health Care, the six Vineyard boards of health and a bevy of volunteers are working tirelessly to put the Vineyard testing project in motion.

May 22, 2020, 2:16pm

Strict Rules Prevail in Menemsha for Holiday Weekend

Bracing for a possibly bustling Memorial Day weekend, Chilmark selectmen have taken steps to deter crowds from gathering in Menemsha.

May 21, 2020, 7:43pm

Pandemic Strands Foreign Workers, Amid Mounting Summer Worries

Travel delays and bureaucratic obstacles caused by the coronavirus are disrupting the influx of seasonal workers who typically begin arriving on the Island around now.

May 21, 2020, 7:36pm

Downtown Business Leader Looks to Build Community Voice

Second-generation entrepreneur Julia Tarka has worked her way from summer jobs in Edgartown shops and restaurants to running three family establishments of her own.

May 21, 2020, 6:47pm

Two Health Agents, One Pandemic, Lots of Sleepless Nights

Tisbury health agent Maura Valley, Edgartown health agent Matt Poole and their colleagues in Oak Bluffs, Chilmark and West Tisbury are working around the clock.

May 21, 2020, 10:45am

Muted but No Less Heartfelt, Memorial Day Festivities Go On

American flags dot the landscape at all the cemeteries around the Island. But Memorial Day festivities will change this year.

May 21, 2020, 10:28am

Air Traffic Drops Dramatically; JetBlue Delays Summer Service

Some of the Martha’s Vineyard Airport’s largest commercial carriers are now delaying or curtailing their summer service to the Island.

May 20, 2020, 12:07pm

Nantucket SSA Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus

An employee who works at the Nantucket Steamship Authority terminal has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a press release that went out late Tuesday night.

May 20, 2020, 11:51am

Hospital Leaders Announce Gradual Reopening of Medical Facility

With Covid-19 cases on the Island holding firm, leaders at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital announced their own first steps for reopening the facility at a press briefing Wednesday.

May 19, 2020, 5:18pm

Towns Slash Budgets, Give Up Pay Raises, as Belt Tightening Begins

Faced with the prospect of declining revenues and tax shortfalls, Island towns are putting long-term capital projects on hold and giving up salary increases nearly across the board.

May 19, 2020, 1:52pm

Business Community Calls for All-Island Action

As a truncated summer season looms, more than a dozen Vineyard business owners have issued an open letter calling for a public summit meeting with the all-Island selectmen and boards of health.

May 19, 2020, 1:27pm

High School Committee Eyes $1 Million in Budget Cuts

The regional high school district committee voted Monday to cut at least $1 million from the 2021 budget, although where the cuts will come from is yet to be determined.

May 18, 2020, 8:24pm

Governor Outlines Slow-Motion Approach for State Reopening

Island restaurant and hotel owners reacted with frustration Monday after Gov. Charlie Baker announced his ultra-slow reopening plan for the commonwealth.

May 17, 2020, 5:24pm

No New Cases Sunday; Governor Baker Expected to Roll Out State Reopening Plan Monday

The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Island boards of health reported no new coronavirus cases Sunday. On Monday Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to announce the much-anticipated details of a four-phase reopening plan for the commonwealth.

May 16, 2020, 5:38pm

One New Case Saturday; Hospital Recognizes Employees

The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Island boards of health reported one new confirmed coronavirus case on the Vineyard Saturday.

May 16, 2020, 3:53pm

Great Oyster Giveaway Attracts Throngs

Hundreds turned out Saturday morning for the free oyster giveaway at the Agricultural Society fairgrounds.

May 16, 2020, 2:09pm

Community Block Grants Set to Funnel Coronavirus Aid to Island Towns

Island towns are set to apply for approximately $1 million in federal pandemic relief funds to help with rental assistance, forgivable small business loans and homelessness prevention.

May 15, 2020, 6:07pm

One New Case Friday; Boards of Health Release More Demographics

The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported one new case of Covid-19 on the Island Friday, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 26 positive tests and four antibody tests.

May 15, 2020, 4:45pm

Under New Partnership, Comprehensive Testing Set to Begin at End of May

Island health officials have announced a unique, public-private partnership with Quest Diagnostics to make coronavirus testing available for all Vineyard residents.

May 15, 2020, 2:40pm

Casual Conversation in the Yard Led to Innovative Partnership

Three weeks ago, Steve Rusckowski, CEO of Quest Diagnostics had an idea. He shared it with his longtime landscaper and friend Michael Donaroma.

May 15, 2020, 2:00pm

Major testing program announced by Boards of Health, Quest, Island Health Care

May 14, 2020, 7:10pm

Gazette Survey Sees Huge Response; Health Worries, Confusion Top Concerns

A Vineyard Gazette survey about the upcoming summer on Martha’s Vineyard tapped a torrent of health worries and confusion.

May 14, 2020, 7:06pm

One New Case Thursday; State Revises Testing Criteria

The Vineyard reported one new positive coronavirus case on Thursday, bringing the Island’s total caseload to just shy of 30, nearly two months into the outbreak.

May 14, 2020, 12:02pm

Summer Rules for Beaches Down-Island Still Unsettled

As summer approaches, one of the big questions surrounding the Island also happens to surround it literally — the beaches.

May 14, 2020, 10:53am

Grand Oyster Giveaway Saturday

Thousands of fresh oysters will be distributed to Island families and school children this weekend, thanks to an anonymous benefactor who donated funds to help Island oyster farmers.

May 14, 2020, 7:40am

Aquinnah Tightens Parking Rules for Town Beaches This Summer

Aquinnah beaches will be open this summer, but parking will be strictly limited, and town leaders are considering additional rules.

May 13, 2020, 5:58pm

High School Graduation Eyes Move to Fairgrounds

The class of 2020 will graduate at the Agricultural Society fairgrounds this summer, pending approvals from health authorities.

May 13, 2020, 5:00pm

Two New Cases Are Reported; Island Boards of Health Change Methods for Counting

Martha’s Vineyard boards of health reported one new positive coronavirus test and one new positive antibody test among Island residents on Wednesday, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases on-Island to 28.

May 13, 2020, 1:57pm

Green Room Rides Wave of Cautious Optimism

The Green Room — the Main street Vineyard Haven store that’s become something of an Island institution — is adapting to the new normal.

May 13, 2020, 1:15pm

Bid Approved for Partial Repairs to Oak Bluffs Ferry Pier

Expedited repairs to the Oak Bluffs ferry pier will begin soon, after Steamship Authority governors approved a $267,000 bid Tuesday for the work, with a June 22 completion date.

May 12, 2020, 6:12pm

Parade of Thanks for Front Line Workers Stirs Joy

The sound of blaring sirens and horns echoed from Edgartown to Vineyard Haven Tuesday afternoon as a long line of police, fire and rescue vehicles wound through the mostly empty streets. But this was no emergency — it was parade to pay tribute to workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

May 12, 2020, 12:25pm

Windemere Will Undergo Comprehensive Testing for Covid-19

Comprehensive coronavirus testing will take place soon for staff and residents at the Windemere nursing home facility, hospital leaders said Tuesday.

May 11, 2020, 5:14pm

Antibody Tests Up Case Count on the Vineyard; Governor Outlines Reopening

Martha’s Vineyard boards of health reported their third positive antibody test on Monday, bringing the positive Covid-19 case total on Island to 26. Meanwhile, Gov. Charlie Baker presented the bare bones of a reopening plan as cases continued to trend downward statewide.

May 11, 2020, 4:36pm

Edgartown Cancels Fourth of July Parade

The Edgartown Fourth of July parade — one of the Island’s premier summer events — has been canceled, the last in a long line of signature festivities to be cut from the summer calendar.

May 11, 2020, 3:28pm

Police Organize Parade for Front Line Workers

As a gesture to honor medical professionals and grocery store workers on the front lines of the pandemic, Island police, fire and others plan to stage a parade from Edgartown to Vineyard Haven .

May 11, 2020, 11:43am

Using 3-D Printers to Help Keep Pandemic at Bay

Islanders with 3-D printers have been manufacturing frames for face shields to protect wearers from infection.

May 10, 2020, 5:44pm

One New Coronavirus Case Reported on the Vineyard Sunday, Bringing Total to 25

The Island boards of health reported one new confirmed coronavirus case Sunday, bringing the Vineyard total to 25. As with the last confirmed case, the new case, a female in her 40s, had an antibody test that came back positive.

May 10, 2020, 4:00pm

First positive antibody test reported

May 9, 2020, 5:59pm

No New Confirmed Cases Reported on the Vineyard Saturday

Confirmed cases of Covid-19 stayed at 24 Saturday, with no new cases reported for a second straight day. Statewide, there were positive trends as new cases dropped slightly.

May 8, 2020, 5:47pm

Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Stay at 24 on the Vineyard

No new coronavirus cases were reported on the Vineyard Friday, leaving the number of positive test results at 24 on the Island. Statewide, there were 1,612 new cases.

May 8, 2020, 4:43pm

Markey, Warren, Keating Seek Federal Aid for Steamship Authority

With the financially strapped Steamship Authority in mind, the Massachusetts Congressional delegation is requesting $3 billion in aid to keep the country’s ferry industry afloat. A letter was sent to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer May 7.

May 8, 2020, 4:28pm

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