As the busiest summer on record draws to a close, officials across the Island are grappling with how to deal with a new wave of Covid-19 cases that shows no sign of letting up. Vaccination requirements are under consideration in more than one town.

Vineyard Covid-19 case counts have neared their highest levels since the pandemic began, with new clusters identified at businesses across the Island as the Delta variant continues its spread. Boards of health reported 97 new cases from August 15-21.

Boards of health in four more Island towns voted unanimously this week to impose a mask mandate for indoor public spaces, and West Tisbury adopted a vaccination requirement for town employees.

The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is seeing its largest numbers of Covid and non-Covid related patients since the pandemic began, testing emergency room capacity as cases spike on-Island during the peak of summer.

All three down-Island towns are scheduled to hold a joint emergency board of health meeting Tuesday to discuss an indoor mask mandate, as Covid cases continue to double by the week in August.