A recent uptick in coronavirus cases on the Island has largely come from young, asymptomatic Islanders, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital officials said at a press briefing Wednesday.

Hospital officials also announced the opening of their new, expanded pediatrics suite in internal medicine and announced that they had named the hospital’s art collection after departing board member Edward Miller and his wife, Monina von Opel.

The hospital has reported eight new positive Covid-19 tests in the past month after reporting none in June. On Wednesday, hospital CEO Denise Schepici attributed the small rise in case numbers to the arrival of summer.

Both Nantucket and Cape Cod have also seen an increase in case numbers throughout July.

“More people. More density. More cases,” Ms. Schepici said. “People not wearing masks.”

The briefing was hosted by Ms. Schepici and hospital spokesman Katrina Delgadillo.

Ms. Schepici said the vast majority of the recent cases are in the 18-25 age range and that many of the individuals were asymptomatic patients, prompting her to reiterate the importance of mask-wearing and laud the efforts of towns to institute mandatory mask orders. A number of the recent positive cases were screenings for employment, Ms. Schepici said.

“Many of them were asymptomatic. This speaks to the point of why masks were so important,” Ms. Schepici said. “There are asymptomatic carriers here, and that’s why it’s really, really important.”

Looking ahead to August, Ms. Schepici urged Islanders to not let their guard down, despite the extreme heat.

“August is coming. August is the busiest, busiest month. I worry that people are getting fatigued,” Ms. Schepici said. “It is important that people follow the guidelines.”

She announced that on Monday the hospital’s new pediatrics suite opened to the public, with seven rooms specifically for pediatric care — three more than the previous suite. The redevelopment of the hospital’s internal medicine wing was part of a strategic plan that the hospital put together last year. Ms. Schepici said the strategic plan is nearly 75 per cent complete, despite the pandemic.

“It came together with a lot of teamwork,” Ms. Schepici said.

Ms. Schepici also announced that longtime board member Edward Miller would be stepping down after reaching his term limit. Mr. Miller was instrumental in the fundraising efforts to build the new hospital building in 2010 and with his wife, Monina von Opel, organized a world-class art collection on the hospital’s walls. Ms. Schepici thanked Mr. Miller for his service.

The art collection will now be formally known as the Edward Miller and Monina von Opel art collection at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, Ms. Schepici announced.

Replacing Mr. Miller on the board will be longtime West Tisbury and Boston resident Peter Nessen. Mr. Nessen served as the secretary for the Executive Office of Administration and Finance under former Gov. Bill Weld.