Vineyard Coronavirus Cases Climb to 15 as State Surge Continues

Julia Wells
Saturday, April 18, 2020 - 12:11pm
UPDATED Monday, April 20, 2020 - 4:20pm

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23 Comments

The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Island boards of health reported one more confirmed case of Covid-19 on the Vineyard Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 15.

To date the hospital has collected sample for 263 tests, with 15 positives, 243 negatives and five pending.

The hospital reported its numbers Monday morning, and later in the day the boards of health confirmed the same numbers. There are six men and nine women in the group of confirmed cases, broken down by age groups as follows: one under 20, two in the 20-29 age group, two in the 30-39 age group, seven in the 50-59 group and three in the 60-69 age group. The new case was a male in the 50-59 age group, according to the report from the six boards of health.

The one-case uptick on Monday, the Patriot’s Day state holiday, followed a weekend that saw no new confirmed cases on the Vineyard.

Statewide, 1,566 new cases were confirmed on Monday and 103 new deaths, bringing the total deaths attributed to the virus to 1,809. With just over 39,000 confirmed cases, Massachusetts ranks third in the nation for total infections, after New York and New Jersey.

Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation Sunday morning, Gov. Charlie Baker said the state is in the middle of the expected surge of cases.

Vineyard numbers had stayed stable at 12 for nine days until Thursday, when two more cases were confirmed. No one is currently hospitalized on the Island with Covid-19.

A statewide stay-at-home order is in effect until May 4, and hospital leaders are urging Islanders to continue to stay at home.

Face coverings are required at all Island grocery stores, farm stands and garden centers (the latter have reopened with strict protocols for hygiene and distancing).

Martha's Vineyard Hospital

Covid-19 cases

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Comments (23)

David, New England. / Edgartown

No one is hospitalized. All the ill are coping. And meantime people are begging - online and otherwise - because they can’t work and non-residents have been told they’re not welcome. That seems to be working well. Maybe no one should plan on working ever again. Then no one will ever get sick again.

April 20, 2020 - 8:44am

Dan, West Tis

3 people have been hospitalized, taken to Boston no less. Others have been sent home to get through the illness, with symptoms that were not by any stretch light.

April 20, 2020 - 9:06am

David

Have been. Are not. One of whom was pregnant with unspecified complications. 2 others with unspecified co-morbidities. Like age, preexisting COPD or asthma, diabetes and /or obesity. None of which existed on island before this particular virus I suppose.

April 20, 2020 - 9:22am

Al Reis, Edgartown

New statistics came out today revising mortality rate down to .2%, which means that if EVERYONE caught the virus you'd have a 99.8% chance of surviving. Hardly the apocalypse. Certainly, let's be sensible- but not panicked out of proportion to the reality.

April 21, 2020 - 9:08pm

Michael-Tisbury, Tisbury

I can just imagine all the heart and cancer patients, and elective surgeries, being told not to come in for routine checkups or surgery, as we all focus on the Corona. I suspect more of us will die from that than the Corona. Not to mention people who are depressed and suicidal, or not eating well, as we hide from a virus that only a few fragile people are at risk. Stop this insanity.

April 20, 2020 - 9:10am

A Registered Nurseand if you have a serious precondition , Edgartown

It is sad so many very old and ill people are dying of this virus. However, more than half of the deaths in Massachusetts were at elderly nursing facilities. Martha's Vineyard needs to continue to test anyone working and living at Windmere and also plan to test residents living in Island Elderly Housing. They are our high risk population. If you follow them closely the rest of the island should be able to return to work and play abiding by social distancing and mask in close public places. And if you have a serious precondition continue to take utmost caution until there is a successful therapeutic. People need to work to feed their families. Start to open the island.

April 20, 2020 - 9:14am

James, Washington DC

“If you follow them closely the rest of the island should be able to return to work and play abiding by social distancing and mask in close public places.” I can’t quite picture how shops smaller than the size of your typical Walmart are going to be able to handle social distancing. The shops on MV I’m familiar with may have to restrict entry, handing out entry tickets like a Baskin Robins with X people allowed in the store at a time, and a time limit to boot. “Sorry, you’ve been here for 15 minutes, we have to ask you to leave now so another patron can come in.” It’s gonna be ugly. And if visitors are allowed back on the island for the summer, imagine the scene then.

April 20, 2020 - 11:49am

Islander Too

You are being silly with your scare-mongering scenario. Sure, it is a challenge to maintain social distancing in some settings, but not impossible. Intelligent people of goodwill are up to the challenge. Regarding "sorry you have been here for 15 mins," that is not how it works. Creating ridiculous scenarios really doesn't help. Sensible and considerate people know to enter, to get what they need, and to exit. It is not the end of the world if patrons see that others are waiting and so they speed up their decision making. In some ways it is easier for small stores to implement social distancing. Most important is for salespeople in those stores to wear masks and to use sanitizer between customers. It helps if customers also wear latex gloves.

April 21, 2020 - 7:25am

Louise, Tisbury

How misleading. The elderly are not the only high risk people. Anyone, of any age, with health challenges such as respiratory (think asthma, copd/ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, being a smoker, diabetes, heart disease, is at higher risk of serious complications requiring specialized medical care. These people can, in turn, infect others. Perhaps we should ignore the recommendations that the CDC, WHO, national and local experts have given us to wait until fourteen days of declining cases have passed before carefully reopening. I am really surprised that an RN would make these statements. Of course we all want the economy to open again, but it must be done responsibly!

April 21, 2020 - 7:50am

island girl, Island

Islanders are helping to take care of islanders -- please keep in mind that the vulnerable population is substantial here (older, elderly, in need of extra care, challenged in some way -- and not necessarily in a elderly and/or nursing facility. Also, I keep reading that folks are telling people to go away and "we don't like you." Not true, the truth of the matter is that the supply chains for food, fuel, services, and all the rest are being stretched to the max, and we are at the last stop. It isn't that we don't "like you" it is that having you join the winter population here stretches already h+Hanging on by a thread" resources to the breaking point. It isn't just PPE (Masks, gloves, suits, etc.( which are in short supply), or even toilet paper. It is flour, fresh fruit and veg, plus all sorts of other stuff. Please respect our limited resources! Also, do you have a local primary care physician? In fact some of us don't because they are in short supply here. Stay where you have a community for now. IT is safer for you and for us as well. It has nothing to do with like or who pays taxes where. Try to see it from our perspective. It is not hostile; it is purely pragmatic and realistic.

April 20, 2020 - 10:06am

Mr B, Chilmark

I sometimes feel from reading many comments that no one wants to take into account the many workers on MV who do not live on MV and who commute/would commute to the island every day. In trying to predict how things will "go" once one loosens up restrictions, you must take them into account. It's not as if only folks who live on the island will start working again.

April 20, 2020 - 2:34pm

COH, Edgartown

A group of 5 cyclists in full gear and in tight formation passed me as I walked today in Edgartown. (Unless they were 5 brothers, not a family group). I couldn't quite catch the language but it was not English. No distancing of any kind and off for an adventure as if it were summer. More people are coming every day, some just for the day, just not workers! Please do not simplify this complex issue by demonizing off island workers while failing to factor in the pleasure trippers who seem to be oblivious to the stay at home and other restrictions.

April 20, 2020 - 3:34pm

Mark, Edgartown

Do you have any facts or is this all conjecture? Speculating and fear mongering does not help anyone.

April 20, 2020 - 7:39pm

COH, Edgartown

This group went by me as I walked. Yes, we witness cyclists, people in cars, jogging, walking, and then things settle back to normal. This comment is not about people coming to their own houses, this is about visitors, weekend guests, daytrippers. The group I saw probably came to run the marathon and came to ride here instead. If decisions are going to be made we should be honest and face facts.

April 21, 2020 - 5:47am

Jim, Nyc

For many people it is safer to be on Mv so would be good to stop the nonsense of blaming islanders. They have homes here and they have every right to their homes and the services their taxes pay for. It is their right to choose where they feel safest -- no one has the right to dictate otherwise.

April 20, 2020 - 7:23pm

Abby Normal, The Rock

Well, if you live in Michigan and have a get away in the woods, the Governor said you could not go. So, in that state, they pay taxes on both places, but have been forbidden. Stay healthy and wash your hands.

April 21, 2020 - 7:55am

Annie, Maine

Actually - some of us are thinking that we are really really not welcome there and are actively thinking about selling and moving on. Leaving the cool kids on MV to enjoy permanent isolation and figure out a way to support themselves without us. Thinking very seriously. I don’t think I can take the resentment and yearly dunning for benefit tickets anymore. I know we won’t be missed.

April 21, 2020 - 8:29am

Bob, Edgartown

The reason the Vineyard has so few cases is because the lockdown is working. Reminds me of the old dandruff shampoo commercial: “You use a dandruff shampoo? But you don’t have dandruff.” Exactly. You lockdown, you minimize cases. You loosen the lockdown, cases come roaring in: bad cases that make some people very sick. Mortality risk is greatest in the elderly, but young, vigorous people can still have hellacious illnesses. Two weeks on a ventilator in an ICU is life-changing even if one doesn’t die. This is a very difficult situation for a place like the island, where so much of the economy depends directly or indirectly on tourism. The decision to reopen, when and how, needs to be taken carefully and with an abundance of caution. If folks go out thinking they are young and healthy and can just go do their thing, people will certainly die, even if it’s the elderly people back at home.

April 21, 2020 - 3:20am

Joel Priester, North Tisbury

The people of the island must be allowed to get back to work. social distancing and precautionary measures must be enforced, but please let islanders get back to work. If we don’t we are all going to suffer a far greater fate, unexpected unprepared sustained poverty.

April 21, 2020 - 7:28am

Marc Rivers, Oak Bluffs

Good morning. I hope that the 15 confirmed cases have a safe and speedy recovery. It would be nice to know how many of the 15 cases originated here on the Island (Year Rounders) or developed here from visitors ? I don't believe giving out this information breaks any HIPPA Laws, because you would only be giving out the Towns of their primary residency. Please consider this request - Stay safe and healthy - Vineyard Strong :) Marc Rivers

April 21, 2020 - 8:36am

Anne, MA

Agreed. Many people have gone to their second homes in different places: FL, NC,SC, and MA and are staying for the duration. They pay taxes and contribute to communities in both places. They have the right to feel safe.

April 21, 2020 - 9:08am

R, Tisbury

We can expect to see more cases as visitors and summer people return. As well as workers from all over the world. I don't really get how mitigating will be an effective measure against This. It seems pointless with this influx. This should be seriously debated by state and local governments. As soon as the weather turns we will be inundated on both islands. I believe tourists and part time residents see our low number of cases, believe our islands are safe and therefore do not follow guidelines. Even the bare minimum of guidelines. Someone needs to figure this out. We have sacrificed much to keep our numbers low. This is just unacceptable.

April 21, 2020 - 9:56am

Elizabeth , Edgartown and NYC

We must to learn to live with this virus. A vaccine is two years away. Wash your hands often, wear masks, wash the masks, avoid crowds, stay home (on or off Island) if you have a fever or cough. The Island is going to collapse under its own weight of fear and bias and lack of jobs if we do not get back to work. Further, we ALL need access to health care - not just COVID 19 patients. I am months overdue now for a cancer screening procedure and not feeling well.

April 21, 2020 - 11:44am

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Vineyard Coronavirus Cases Climb to 15 as State Surge Continues

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Vineyard Coronavirus Cases Climb to 15 as State Surge Continues

Julia Wells

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