Two more cases of Covid-19 were confirmed Saturday, bringing the total of confirmed cases on the Island to 12. No one with the virus is hospitalized at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital.
The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital reported two more positive cases of Covid-19 Saturday morning, as the total number of infections on the Island rose to 12.
Data provided later in the day by Tisbury board of health agent Maura Valley showed the two new cases were both women, one between 50 and 59 and the other unknown. No other identifying information, including hometowns, are being released for privacy reasons.
The statewide numbers continuedt to climb Saturday, with 1,334 new cases, bringing the state total to more than 11,700. Another 24 people have died from the virus, for a total of 216 since the outbreak began.
In a daily email report Saturday morning, the hospital's director of communications Katrina Delgadillo reported there is no one currently hospitalized at Martha's Vineyard Hospital with the coronavirus. She said Friday that two people have been airlifted to Boston for medical reasons since the outbreak began, one within the week and one previously, but offered no other details.
As of Saturday, the hospital has tested 134 people for the coronavirus. Of these, 112 have been negative and 11 more are still pending. Eleven people have been confirmed to have the virus, according to the hospital.
The Island boards of health had previously reported another positive case after a patient was symptomatically diagnosed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases on the Island to 12.
The hospital and boards of health are both reporting case numbers, but in different formats and at different times of day.
The boards of health report their numbers at the end of the day, around the same time the state Department of Public health releases daily numbers on the state website, usually at about 4 p.m.
The hospital usually updates its website in the morning.
As of Friday morning, the hospital reported that 125 tests have been done, with nine positives, 105 negatives and 11 still pending
At the end of day Friday, the board of health numbers remained unchanged with 10 confirmed cases. The boards of health are also reporting breakdowns in cases by age and gender.
As of Friday, there were four males and six females being reported with Covid-19. Six cases are in the 50-59 age group. Two are in the 60-69 age group. There is one case each in the 20-29 and 30-39 age group. The new case is a female in the 60-69 age group. Towns of residence and other information is not being provided.
Also instead of grouping Dukes and Nantucket counties together, the state is now reporting breakdowns by county.
Discrepancies and time lags between the state, hospital and board of health numbers have continued throughout the week.
In other pandemic news, all Island towns have begun to take steps extend their stay-at-home orders until early May.
Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury have voted to extend the stay-at-home order to May 4, while townwide construction bans will be extended to April 21.
At a meeting Friday morning, Tisbury selectmen followed suit. Selectmen noted that it is likely that the orders will be extended again.
The construction moratorium halts all non-emergency construction work on the Island.
Town counsel Ron Rappaport has helped coordinate dates for the extensions throughout the Island.
“It is a positive to have all the towns working together and speaking with a unified voice,” Mr. Rappaport said at a meeting of the Chilmark selectmen Thursday.
At a West Tisbury meeting Wednesday, town administrator Jen Rand noted the expected surge in cases in the commonwealth sometime in the next two weeks. “All of the studies show that April 14 may be our peak time for this crisis in Massachusetts. Hopefully we won’t see a terrible surge, but that is the estimated fate,” Ms. Rand said. “We are working to get people back to work, but everyone felt quite strongly that now is not the time because we need to keep this curve as flat as possible.”
Comments
GOD BLESS YOU ALL MVH AND
GODSPAL MARTHA'S VINEYARDGOD BLESS YOU ALL MVH AND YOURS AND TO THE VINEYARD GAZETTE FOR COMMUNICATING WITH DIGNITY.PEACE BE WITH ALL.
We are summer residents,
Linda Simpson NYCWe are summer residents, staying put in New York City. For those of you interested in face masks, which I have been working on for a doctor friend of mine, you can make a reasonably effective face mask in 45 seconds with a paper towel folded like a fan, and then before you unfold it fold each of the ends over a rubber band and staple. The paper towel sheets I have tried are 7 inches by about 11 inches, and they are perfect. We are making more complicated ones, but these are a great stopgap. Stay safe!
That is kind of you to share
Masks on mv MVThat is kind of you to share this info. Thank you and be safe.
Thank you Linda Simpson! This
jean Berman Brooklyn, NYThank you Linda Simpson! This is so easy, and very much appreciated. Now I have a use for all those rubber-band balls I've been making for my grandsons. Note to slow learners like me: fold the paper towel lengthwise!
Thank you for the very clear
JP EdgartownThank you for the very clear explanation of the discrepancies in numbers being reported for MV and Nantucket....watching the hospital websites as well as the State's, and seeing varying numbers that just didn't seem to add up really had me wondering whether to trust any of it. You have done a great job explaining for those of us who had questions!
Stay well my Island. I
Douglas Korves AIA NYC the Belly of the Beast.Stay well my Island. I imagine that we will have over 100,000 cases in NY State this weekend and 60,000 in NYC.
I state that to stress the seriousness of social distancing. The Vineyard is a bell jar and you have to protect your village.
Town leaders, as a former tax payer, keep the cars off the ferries and the jets out of the airports. It is good for Islanders and the workers that you are halting construction work.
Counting cases is not counting votes. This is a math exercise. You had 2 cases a week ago, 7 cases this week. I hope only 14 next week and your curve flattens at 24 which is your current capacity.
Taxpayers, homeowners And boaters who are not residents. This blue heaven is not your family’s safe house or your relatives retreat that you get to escape to.
Take it from this New Yorker and former Islander, stay home and isolate. An Island is like an emergency room - you must be cautious and follow the rules.
Well said Douglas Korves! I
Lisa B. Upstate ,NY.Well said Douglas Korves! I applaud your comments...I have been reading weekly..... the challenges the Island is facing with the corona Virus. Ive been able to understand the taxpayer and seasonal home owners lament , but now all bets are off, and I believe that the cure is to stay home....Many people I know, including our family, have second homes and want to escape to the mountains, the Island , the lake ....it doesn't matter where!!..Moving around Spreads the Virus. Pretty clear now. Please, Please, Please stay home. Even if that home is in the epicenter..even more critical to stay home. Then maybe we can flatten this curve. Peace be with the Island and the world.
When will they start testing
OB resi Oak bluffsWhen will they start testing more of us? They’ve only tested 100 people so far. We have what 16,000 people on the island? Knowing that many people can carry and spread the virus without showing symptoms wouldn’t it make sense to begin widespread testing now? I suspect there are far more than 9 cases on the island by now.
There are not enough tests
Pat Bateman VINEYARD HAVENThere are not enough tests for everyone. When the disease spread from China to Europe, the World Health Organization offered tests to the United States. Trump turned them down, saying private companies here would make the tests “better” if we needed them. But he never ordered U.S. companies to make tests and they had no profit motive to do so on their own.
Not that it really matters,
Bob OBNot that it really matters, but Trump did not turn down tests offered by the WHO. He did say the tests were bad tests, which may or may not be true. You might want to check your statements of "fact" before you simply repeat what you heard.
The construction ban was a
David JohnThe construction ban was a bad idea to begin with and continues to be just that. It wouldn't be surprising if the uptick in new cases was related to that ban. 90% of construction sites is the equivalent of being in self quarantine. But safer, because you're not home cozied up to the germs you just brought back from the grocery store, pharmacy or liquor store. Douglas is right, it's a math exercise. The ban on construction, landscaping, painting etc. means that hundreds, yes hundreds of additional people will be going to those stores on a daily basis. Exactly the opposite of what everyone is trying to accomplish. Social distancing means staying as far away from other people as you possibly can. A construction ban does not accomplish that. Closing a grocery store does not accomplish that. It only forces people to come in closer contact with each other. These decisions are putting the people of the island at risk and our healthcare workers at tremendous risk. Talk of the construction ban usually turns to the workers coming off the boat. That is a different situation altogether and should be handled separately.
John David, clearly you do
Islandgirlstacey MvJohn David, clearly you do not work in the trades, and you obviously live in an alternate universe if you think that being on a job site is essentially like being in quarantine. Thank God you’re not in an elected position here on island.
Well said.
Marcia NYWell said.
What were these hundreds, yes
Gail Gardner Oak BluffsWhat were these hundreds, yes hundreds of people doing for food, medicines, and alcohol before the construction ban was in place? I assume A) someone else was getting all of that for them or B) they were also getting it for themselves while also working. It is kind of silly to think that the only two choices are work on a construction site or go shopping. A household only needs one person to do the shopping. If it wasn't the construction worker/landscaper/painter before, it doesn't need to be now. Stay home.
I always thought of the
Jack Conway sarasota floridaI always thought of the Island as a refuge and now you are suffering. Peace to all the residents and know you are in my heart nd prayers
I'm not sure if this has
Gabrielle West TisburyI'm not sure if this has happened yet but I think it would be a good idea to have announcements encouraging quarantining at home for everyone boarding the boat. Also, having been to stop and shop yesterday I was amazed how many people aren't taking this seriously. There isn't enough social distancing and not many people wearing masks and gloves. In Italy, these items are required, it should be further encouraged. If they have gloves available to sell: then perhaps they could be distributed at entrance for free. I'd also like to see wipes near carriages and a trash can. This is just an idea. I really would like to commend the employees as they seem aware and understand that this is a public health crisis; as opposed to many customers.
To date it seems as if information from the local health departments seeps out info as needed based on the updating of numbers. This is good though it might assuage fears to have a biweekly update that not only responds to the cases but gives a detailed plan of the local response town by town. Again, this isn't a criticism but rather a suggestion, I truly appreciate the tireless work that everyone is doing.Stay safe.
Where are you getting masks
JMWhere are you getting masks and gloves?
At first we were told to leave those for the healthcare heroes. I donated mine.
I had masks, having had
Gabrielle West TisburyI had masks, having had tularemia, there was a public health advisory that anyone mowing a lawn should have a mask hence I had some, I would have donated them but I had already used them. Also I'm pretty sure I saw gloves for sale, so I might be wrong.
Hi, this comment is
Stephanie EdgartownHi, this comment is completely unrelated to the article above, forgive me, just don't know where else to pose the rhetorical question: with gas prices sharply dropping all around the country for weeks now, why is gas still over $3/gallon on MV?
Are any of the support
COH EdgartownAre any of the support agencies providing "Covid kits" for those who don't have or cannot afford a thermometer, fever medication, cough syrup and a mask? I assembled my own Covid kit at home, as it is a matter of when not if. Manufacturers should step up with samples, and with thermometers for those who need them. Food banks or the Covid testing site could distribute them to those in need, along with instructions on safely sharing the thermometer with family members and simple directions on when to seek medical help. When I read about people going to an Urgent Care center because they don't have a thermometer...it is an urgent need!
The Cape & Islands are lucky
John Cape CodThe Cape & Islands are lucky that this COVID-19 outbreak did not occur during the summer season when we are inundated with summer tourists and visitors. If it did we would be facing a situation like in New York, which would be totally unmanageable and deadly to our area. Follow the guidelines and stay away from other people !
What do you think is going to
Dan ObWhat do you think is going to happen this summer? MV very well may become a hot spot if we allow people from all over the world to travel here. It takes 1 person shedding the virus here this summer to literally infect 10s of thousands. No way this is a done deal by summer. We are far from out of the woods.
It is good to have the
Lorraine EdgartownIt is good to have the information about the number of cases of the virus, etc., However, we are in a pandemic and some of this privacy issue needs to be addressed. I want to know where the people were who are getting the virus; off island or on island, where did they go? who did they fraternize with on island and off island? In a situation such as this we need all the information we can get. I am in a high risk category and I deserve this information. My opinion, so no rebuttals are needed.
I purchased a world map...
Jim FlI purchased a world map... "gave my wife a dart and said " throw this and where ever it lands I'm taking you there for a vacation when this pandemic is over".
Turns out we're spending two weeks behind the fridge.
Jim, thank you very much for
Bulkington EdgartownJim, thank you very much for the chuckle. Just the tonic I needed today.
Hahaha. My FAVORITE place!!
Lois TexasHahaha. My FAVORITE place!!
Stay well!!❤️❤️❤️
Ha! Thank you, needed a good
Brenda L Horrigan VINEYARD HAVENHa! Thank you, needed a good laugh today!
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