More than 130 people have been vaccinated and tested positive for COVID outbreaks in Provincetown – NBC Boston

After more than 130 people were fully vaccinated and tested positive in a cluster of associated coronavirus cases in Provincetown, Massachusetts on July 4, town officials issued a new mask recommendation.

At an emergency meeting on Monday, the Health Commission resolved to advise people to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. In dense areas where social distance cannot be achieved, it is advisable to follow the recommendations and perform vaccine validation prior to admission. However, some town officials felt that the recommendations were not sufficiently advanced.

Dr. Janet Welan, a member of the Provincetown Health Commission, said, “I’m a little disappointed that we’re not taking a stronger position on this. We should ask for a mask, not just advice.” Said. “The most interesting thing about this series of cases is that many of the infected people have been vaccinated, which means that many vaccinated people may find it safe, but Other people.”

Following the weekend of July 4, there was an increase in positive COVID-19 cases in Provincetown, in addition to individuals who reported COVID-like symptoms. According to town officials, COVID-19 infections occur in both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

As of July 16, 132 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases had been officially reported to the Massachusetts Public Health Service in connection with the Provincetown case. Of these cases, 89 are residents of Massachusetts, 39 of whom live in Barnstable County. The remaining individuals who test positive live outside Massachusetts.

Case investigations are ongoing and numbers are likely to change as the situation progresses, health officials said. The exact number of vaccinated and unvaccinated people was unknown.

“This is a bit lacking in other people’s concerns because the pandemic isn’t over and we can’t pretend that things are getting better,” Welan said.

Other officials have pointed out recommendations from public health experts. They advised that the community is not in a state of emergency at this time.

“If we don’t see any change in this within the next three weeks, we can be confident that we will consider bringing us back to the session and declaring a public health emergency, but that is correct to the public health authorities. Tell us what they think, “said Stephen Katulinis, chairman of the Provincetown Health Commission. “I think this is a good, solid step, and I think it’s enough where we are.”

Advisories urge people to be vaccinated if they have not yet been vaccinated and to be tested and stay home if exposed or if they experience symptoms. In addition, all unvaccinated people, including children under the age of 12, should wear masks both indoors and outdoors if they are unable to maintain a social distance of 6 feet. It complies with the guidelines of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Town officials and business owners talked about the need to assist local businesses imposing their own mask requirements during an emergency meeting on Monday.

Officials said the Public Health Service had warned other Massachusetts jurisdictions to inform them of the outbreak in Provincetown. State health officials are asking jurisdictions to report all cases of recent trips to Provincetown. This will give authorities a better understanding of how widespread the outbreak is.

In addition, the CDC and the Massachusetts Public Health Service are working closely together to actively detect cases in other jurisdictions, town officials said. This is so often identified outside Massachusetts that local, state, and federal coordination is needed, officials said.

Ann Scales, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Public Health Service, said in an email Monday that he was investigating the agency’s response to the outbreak.