On the eve of the July Fourth holiday, Island boards of health reported one new positive test on the Vineyard, bringing the total coronavirus caseload to 53.
The individual — a female under the age of 20 — tested positive for the virus off-Island, according to Tisbury health agent Maura Valley. Three individuals under the age of 20 have now tested positive for the virus.
The new positive case represents the second positive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test this week. The Island had previously had four asymptomatic patients test positive at the TestMV site at the regional high school before the two positive tests over the past three days.
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported its first positive in over a month on Wednesday. Nantucket has reported six new positive cases over the past week after holding steady at 14 cases for the past month and a half.
According to an expanded demographic report provided by boards of health every Friday, the Island currently has three active coronavirus cases — one from last week, and two more from this week. An active case means that the boards of health are monitoring the patient and that they remain in isolation.
All other cases on Island are no longer symptomatic and have been released from isolation, according to the demographic report.
In their daily website update, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, which is testing symptomatic patients and their close contacts for the virus, reported that they had tested 1,725 patients since the pandemic began, with 29 tests coming back positive, 1,676 negative and 20 still pending.
No one is currently hospitalized with the virus.
The boards of health reported that TestMV, a comprehensive, free testing site focused on testing asymptomatic patients, has now tested 2,986 patients for the virus over the course of the past month. Four tests have come back positive and 163 are still pending.
The Aquinnah board of health, which is providing self-administered saliva test kits to town residents, has tested 27 patients for the virus, with 19 tests coming back negative and eight still pending.
The Island has also had 18 probable positive cases; 15 people have tested positive for viral antibodies and three people have been symptomatically diagnosed with the virus.
Cape and Islands state Sen Julian Cyr confirmed on Twitter that he had tested positive for viral antibodies in Provincetown. Mr. Cyr wrote on Twitter than he received the test earlier this week and had previously experienced symptoms. A public health nurse had previously walked him through his symptoms, contacts, and given him steps to keep family and friends safe.
“Fortunately no one else in my family got sick and my friends who also had symptoms have all recovered,” Mr. Cyr wrote.
After his firsthand experience, he lauded the state’s contact tracing program.
“Given the limitations of what we know about re-infection, I’ll remain as vigilant as ever, but it’s encouraging to see public health infrastructure built to trace virus in action,” Mr. Cyr wrote.
Comments
Comment policy »