The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Island boards of health put out a joint statement Sunday, calling urgently for renewed vigilance and strict safety protocols.

The health and economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are causing increased demand for supplemental food on Martha’s Vineyard, according to a report from the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Rural Health Scholars program.

Coronavirus cases continued to spike on the Vineyard and throughout the state, with the Island boards of health reporting an additional five new patients on Friday.

Patient Centric received a special permit from the West Tisbury zoning board of appeals Thursday night -- the last step in approval for the Island’s first recreational marijuana facility.

Leslie’s Drug Store, a family-run pharmacy and Main street institution in Vineyard Haven since 1948, will permanently close at the end of this year, after 72 years in business.