Martha’s Vineyard boards of health reported 82 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the week ending Christmas Day, a decline from weeks prior. But the count still ranks among the highest on the Island in 2021.
In their weekly case report released Monday, the Island boards of health reported that 24 of the 82 confirmed cases are among unvaccinated individuals. Fully vaccinated individuals accounted for 41 cases, two cases were in partially vaccinated people, and the vaccination status of 15 people who tested positive is unknown.
The decline in cases follows two back-to-back record-breaking weekly totals of 105 and 112 confirmed cases of Covid-19, as the Omicron variant explodes case counts around the world, prompting new lockdowns and restrictions.
It is not yet known whether the variant is present on the Island; samples were sent for testing last week, according to Tisbury health agent Maura Valley, who is the chief spokesman for the six boards of health.
As confirmed new cases begin to decline from the recent peak, the Martha’s Vineyard hospital has seen its beds cleared of all Covid-19 patients. Last week, five people were hospitalized there with the virus.
“At the moment we have zero patients hospitalized with Covid-19,” chief nursing and operations officer Claire Seguin wrote in an email to the Gazette Monday. “The number thankfully never passed five and there have been no additional transfers. The remaining patients from last week were discharged home in good condition.”
Ms. Seguin declined to comment on the vaccination status of those who have recently been hospitalized with Covid-19, citing privacy laws. But she did release year-to-date numbers for hospitalized Covid patients, reporting that 52 patients have been hospitalized with the virus so far in 2021; 72 per cent of them had not received a vaccine.
“The sickest were unvaccinated,” Ms. Seguin said.
Since last Tuesday, the hospital has administered another 201 booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, reaching a total of 4,755. The hospital has also administered 189 first and second doses in the past two weeks.
