WEST YARMOUTH, Mass. (WPRI) — A Cape Cod nursing home reported more than 30 positive COVID-19 cases involving residents and staff, who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), the positive tests have been on the rise since July 10 at Maplewood at Mayflower Place in West Yarmouth.
Of so far 33 positive cases, 24 are in residents, of which the DPH says the majority are vaccinated and asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.
Nine staff members have also tested positive and are stable, according to the DPH, though their vaccination status was not reported.
The DPH said residents who tested positive have been offered monoclonal antibody therapeutics.
The state health agency also said it has been onsite and is proving ongoing daily support, which includes offering tests and providing PPE.
An hour away, Provincetown reported more than 100 positive cases following the Fourth of July holiday, with town officials issuing a new indoor mask advisory, regardless of vaccination status.
In Boston, where at least 35 resident cases have been linked to Provincetown, health officials are urging those who visited the town to self-isolate and get tested for the virus.
Speaking to WBZ in Boston, Dr. Shira doron at Tufts Medical Center says the highly contagious Delta variant, of which the CDC says makes up 83% of positive COVID-19 cases in the U.S., is likely to blame.
Doron says the good news is, the vaccines are preventing the worst-case scenario, as hospitalizations and deaths remain stable, even as cases rise.
“If we can vaccinate everyone, even if we still had all kinds of mild COVID around, we wouldn’t care,” Doron told WBZ.
“The problem is that not everyone is vaccinated, and we don’t want that to then go on to affect somebody who is not vaccinated who is at risk of severe disease hospitalization and death,” she added.
