The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported its first positive coronavirus case in over a month on Wednesday, with officials striking a voice of calm even as the Fourth of July weekend fast approaches.

Officials also announced that they had recently expanded testing access to include home-bound patients.

But public health officials later confirmed on Wednesday that the new case reported by the hospital was actually a woman in her twenties who had previously tested positive at the TestMV site. The person tested positive at the high school on June 22, Tisbury health agent Maura Valley said on Wednesday, and then tested positive again at the hospital, meaning that the positive test did not mark a new case. 

Ms. Valley said that the current case count on the Island remains at 52 patients, despite the positive report from the hospital. This is the first individual to test positive at both of the Island's testing sites.

"I can confirm that the person that the hospital is reporting is the same individual that tested positive on June 22," Ms. Valley said in a phone call on Wednesday. "The number of cases on the Island hasn’t gone up. This was a retest."

The Island has two coronavirus testing sites, each with different testing protocols and criteria for patients. The hospital is currently testing symptomatic patients and their close contacts, while TestMV, which is located at the regional high school, is testing asymptomatic patients. Ms. Valley said she did not yet know why the patient received a second test at the hospital, and had not heard from public health nurses on whether she was symptomatic or had previously been released from monitoring.

"I haven’t gotten a clear answer on why the individual went to the hospital," Ms. Valley said. "But she did."

The case reported on Wednesday still marks the first positive case tested at the hospital in over a month. The other three patients to test positive during the month of June were all asymptomatic patients tested at the TestMV site at the regional high school.

“Unfortunately, I have news that we have one new positive tested,” hospital CEO Denise Schepici said on Wednesday. “That’s our first new positive since May 30.”

There are now likely three active cases on Island, according to a weekly demographic report from Island board of health officials. At least two of the cases are asymptomatic.

In a weekly press briefing Wednesday morning, officials said that they had tested 1,668 patients for the virus since the outbreak began, with 29 patients — including the new patient on Wednesday — testing positive. There is no one currently hospitalized for the virus. The briefing was hosted by Ms. Schepici, spokesman Katrina Delgadillo and head of primary care Dr. Steven Feder.

With Fourth of July three days away, and the governor continuing to loosen closure restrictions, hospital officials said they were concerned, but prepared, for the influx of visitors to the Island. Ms. Schepici said the hospital had open beds, and that surge protocols were still in place.

“Yeah, of course I’m concerned. But it’s not unexpected,” Ms. Schepici said on Wednesday. “We’ve not let our foot off the gas at all. We are still prepared. We have all our preparatory measures in place. And all we can ask people is to wear a mask and keep their social distance.”

Nantucket has had six residents test positive in the past week, after not reporting a positive case in nearly six weeks.

Responding to a question about the governor loosening travel restrictions in the run-up to the weekend, Ms. Schepici said that she trusted his decision-making and that his response to the virus has been rooted in science. She added that travelers should respect the spirit of social distancing even if they were no longer required to quarantine.

“I’ve always supported the governor’s position, and I respect the fact that he’s counseled by science,” Ms. Schepici said. “Even if you may not be quarantining, please have the courtesy and respect to protect our Islanders.”

Through a partnership with the Tisbury and Edgartown EMS services, the hospital also announced on Wednesday that they have expanded testing to include kits for home-bound patients. Previously, home-bound patients who fit the hospital’s strict testing criteria would have needed an ambulance transfer to receive a test.

The partnership arose through work between Dr. Feder, other hospital officials and the Island-wide EMS services.

“This service allows us to provide an incredibly important health resource to members of our community who are challenged for access and transportation,” Ms. Schepici said. “This is a great new service.”

Dr. Feder said primary care patients who are homebound would have their provider order the test and that it would be conducted by the EMS officials. The criteria for ordering a test has not changed, Dr. Feder said.

No homebound patients have been tested yet, officials said, although they expected that to change fast.

“This has just been rolled out,” Dr. Feder said. “I anticipate that hopefully that will happen.”