Martha’s Vineyard health officials reported 23 new cases of coronavirus on the Island Friday, capping a tumultuous week nationwide that also saw record case numbers on the Island.
According to an expanded daily case update that went out Friday afternoon, 17 of the 23 new cases Friday were tested at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, three from TestMV and one from an off-Island practioner. The health agents also reported two new cases that were tested by the Wampanoag Tribe, the first two known positives among that group.
Along with the 23 new positive cases, health officials reported one new symptomatically diagnosed patient with the virus.
In its daily website update, the hospital reported that a patient re-admitted with the virus on Tuesday was still hospitalized as of 3 p.m. Friday. Hospital officials previously said that the patient was in fair condition. The patient is the hospital’s first Covid-19 readmission since the pandemic began.
In the expanded update Friday, health agents said the Island had reported 79 new cases of coronavirus between Jan. 3 and Jan. 8, the largest amount in a six-day period. The second highest weekly total occurred between Dec. 6 and Dec. 12, when 70 cases were reported.
Of the 79 cases reported this week, 31 are symptomatic, 10 are asymptomatic and 38 are unknown, according to health officials.
The Island now has 94 active cases of coronavirus, the health report states, nearly 30 more than previous weekly active case counts. Of those 94 active cases, 78 came back positive this week, and 16 from last week.
Health agents did not report any additional clusters of coronavirus cases on the Island in the past week, although 252 of the total 631 laboratory confirmed positive cases, or 40 per cent, have been linked to another case. The report also stated that the Island has had case groupings of both nine and 10 patients, although neither grouping is considered a cluster.
“Most connections are within family/household members or small social groups,” the report stated.
There are more than 1,000 tests still pending at TestMV, the Island’s asymptomatic test site, and 49 pending at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
Statewide, cases continued to surge throughout the commonwealth, with the Department of Public Health reporting 7,635 new Covid-19 patients on Friday and 74 new deaths. Gov. Charlie Baker has extended restrictions on public gatherings and 25 per cent capacity limits at almost all businesses for at least two weeks.
