Friday April 23, 2021
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory Information
The number of new positive Covid-19 cases continues to decrease for the third consecutive week as illustrated in the graph below. The classification of the Town has been lowered to “yellow” (medium risk) by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. During the past fourteen days, the Health Division received 145 new positive COVID-19 case reports of residents of the Town of Barnstable who recently contracted Coronavirus. This calculates to an average of only 10.4 new cases per day, which is significantly less than the average daily incidence rate the Town experienced at the beginning of April (when the average incidence rate was 35.1 cases per day).
Since last March 2020, a total of 4,040 residents of the Town have tested positive for COVID-19. In all fifteen towns of Barnstable County, there have been a total of 13,330 positive cases (cumulatively) and 459 deaths from Coronavirus. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported there have been a total of 636,476 positive cases in Massachusetts and 17,168 deaths from COVID-19 in the State. In the United States, 31,930,188 persons contracted the virus and a total of 570,346 persons in the United States have died from the virus according to data received from the John Hopkins University website.
Hospitalizations of patients infected with this virus continue to decrease in Barnstable County. As of yesterday April 20 2021 Cape Cod Healthcare reported fifteen (15) patients who were being treated in their two hospitals (Falmouth Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital), including three (3) patients in intensive care.
Beginning this past Monday April 19th, the general public including anyone 16 years of age and older, became eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations.
As Massachusetts opens vaccine eligibility, Harbor Health, the Hyannis Fire Department, and the Town of Barnstable have partnered to create a new daily vaccination clinic at the Barnstable Adult Community Center (BACC) in Hyannis. To expand vaccine appointments, Harbor collaborated with the Hyannis Fire Department and Town of Barnstable Health Division to open a larger vaccine clinic at the BACC. Members of the Hyannis Fire Department and the Barnstable Health Division are working alongside Harbor Health staff to provide vaccines. The Harbor Health vaccine clinic at the BACC is by appointment only (no walk-ins). Appointments are open to anyone 18 years of age or older. The clinic is offering the Pfizer vaccine. Patients and people who are not patients of Harbor Health are welcome to make an appointment by calling 1-888-503-0766. Appointment assistance is also available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. People may also schedule an appointment online here: https://bit.ly/3goTWQC To learn more about the vaccine clinic and how to make an appointment, please visit Harbor’s website at HHSI.US/CovidVaccine.
Key officials of the Town continue to meet daily to plan and implement proper actions which are in step with the Governor’s orders and MA DPH guidelines. Health Division staff continue to meet and coordinate daily to ensure we are providing the most up-to-date information to citizens and business owners relative to re-openings in compliance with the latest Massachusetts requirements and recommendations. Health inspectors continue to investigate and respond to complaints, conduct food establishment inspections, swimming pool inspections, horse stable inspections, rental unit inspections, witness percolation tests, conduct inspections at businesses which store or utilize hazardous materials, review disposal works construction permit (septic system) applications, and review building permit applications,.
Our Public Health Nurse and team of contract nurses continue to contact those who become infected to ensure they are appropriately isolated and to contact individuals who have come into contact with them to take the required quarantine precautions.
As the number of positive cases continues to decrease, as the number hospitalizations decrease, and as more persons become vaccinated, we continue to ask everyone to continue to follow the basic State guidelines which include:
- Stay at home from work, school, sports and other activities when ill.
- Wear a face covering while out in public where social distancing is not possible per the Governor’s order;
- Frequent hand-washing, for 20 seconds with soap;
- Cough hygiene – into a tissue when possible (throw it away immediately) or into your arm.
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose with unwashed hands.
- Avoid contact with those who are ill.
- Stay home to isolate or quarantine when contacted and required by the Board of Health.
If you should have any questions, call us at the Town of Barnstable Health Division Office at 508 862 4644.
Respectfully Submitted,
Thomas A. McKean, RS, CHO
Director of Public Health