Friday October 15, 2021
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
Average Incidence Rate in the Town of Barnstable
The average daily incidence rate (average number of new COVID-19 positive cases) has increased during the past week as demonstrated in the graph below (see right side of graph). During the past fourteen days, the Health Division received 93 new positive COVID-19 case reports, which calculates to an average daily incidence rate of 6.6 new cases per day.
Town, County, State, and National Cumulative Case and Death Counts
A total of 4,927 Town of Barnstable residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19 cumulatively to date. In Barnstable County, there have been a total of 17,293 positive cases and a total of 513 deaths cumulatively from Coronavirus. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported there have been a total of 775,963 positive cases cumulatively in the State of Massachusetts and 18,427 deaths from COVID-19. In the United States overall, according to the John Hopkins University website, there have been 44,768,043 positive Coronavirus patients to date, resulting in 721,567 total deaths nationwide.
Cape Cod Hospitalizations
As of October 12th, Cape Cod Healthcare reported a total of fifteen (15) patients who were being treated for COVID-19 at their two hospitals, Falmouth Hospital and Cape Cod Hospital. Two (2) of those patients were in intensive care (I.C.U.).
Cases and Hospitalizations of Unvaccinated Persons Versus Vaccinated Persons
As of October 12, 2021, 4,660,716 Massachusetts residents were fully vaccinated. There have been 44,498 (0.95%) COVID-19 cases in vaccinated people. One thousand two hundred and eighty (1,280) of those 44,498 cases (0.03%) resulted in hospitalizations. Three hundred and forty-five (345) cases (0.007%) resulted in death, based on information reported to date. Here is a link to mass.gov website provides this information weekly: https://www.mass.gov/doc/weekly-report-covid-19-cases-in-vaccinated-individuals-october-12-2021/download
Average Age of Death in Massachusetts
The average age of patients who died of COVID-19 was 72 years old.
Vaccinations of Barnstable County Residents
Our population vaccination percentage rate continues to be one of the highest compared to other counties and other states. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported this week that eighty-nine percent (89%) of our Barnstable County residents who were eligible to receive vaccinations (ages 12 and older) have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine Eighty-one (81%) of our age- eligible residents are now fully vaccinated.
Moving Forward
The Town will continue to follow the orders and directives provided by of our Massachusetts Governor and protocols provided by the State Department of Public Health Under the leadership of Town Manager Mark Ells, key officials of the Town continue to meet twice weekly to share communications relative to recent trends and scientific changes associated with the virus, CDC and State guidance and directives, as well as effectively administering the multitude of policies and programs in step with the Town’s Mission Statement and Strategic Plan as approved by the Town Council. Schools and childcare centers continue to be subject to guidance from DESE and the MA Department of Public Health.
Health Division
Health Division staff continue to meet twice weekly to plan and implement actionable preventative measures and to ensure we are providing guidance and/or enforcement in step with the recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), requirements provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and orders provided by the Massachusetts Governor.
Our Public Health Nurse and contract nurses continue to work daily, including during holidays and week-ends, 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.
Requirements and Recommendations
We continue to advise everyone to continue to follow requirements and/or recommendations which include to:
- Wear a face covering while indoors at a medical office and at public transportation venues (i.e. while on a bus, taxi, plane, ship, train) as required by State and Federal laws.
- Frequently wash hands for 20 seconds with soap;
- Provide cough hygiene; cough into a tissue when possible (throw it away immediately) or into your arm.
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, or nose with unwashed hands.
- Stay at home from work and other activities when ill.
- Avoid contact with those who are ill.
- Stay home to isolate or quarantine when contacted and required by the Board of Health.
In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health provided a mask advisory at mass.gov as follows:
- Fully vaccinated individuals are advised to wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, or if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is an unvaccinated adult. [Note: The Commonwealth’s mask order was rescinded on May 29, 2021. The above advisory is not an order nor a requirement.]
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