Aquinnah - Board of Health - COVID 19 Update

7/6 COVID UPDATE

To: residents of Aquinnah

From: Aquinnah Board of Health

Date: July 6, 2020

COVID-19 update 12

 

cases on MV - There have been 53 lab-tested positive cases of COVID-19 to date.

testing types – Testing for COVID-19 includes polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody (serology). PCR tests use nasal and saliva samples to detect whether a person is currently infected, and serology tests use whole blood samples to detect whether a person had an infection in the past.

testing for COVID-19 in Aquinnah – The Board of Health is providing PCR test kits to Town employees and residents. No payment or health insurance is required, we expect government funding to cover the costs. The test is taken at-home and the method is saliva collection. The kit contains instructions on how to collect your sample and mail it to the lab; results are emailed to you within 72 hours. To arrange a pick-up at the BOH window outside Town Hall, email boh-assistant@aquinnah-ma.gov or call 508-645-2309.

testing for COVID-19 on MV – There is a Quest Diagnostics drive-thru PCR test site at the high school that is available to all visitors and Island residents. Quest accepts most health insurance and the MV Bank donated
$100,000 to cover uninsured people. The test is taken in your car and the method is a self-administered nasal swab. Quest workers observe the process, collect the sample from you and mail it to the lab; results are provided to you within 72 hours. To make an appointment, call 877-336-9855.

other testing methods – Test kits for COVID-19 are becoming more available. Columbia University came up with a rapid-response saliva test kit; results are in 30 minutes on premises. We envision the use of this testing method in Town and Island-wide and in a variety of settings such as in schools, reducing the need for strict social distancing and helping to restore regular social activities.

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” -Malcolm X.

re-opening Massachusetts - step 1 of Phase 3 – Governor Baker announced last week that Phase 2 of the re-opening plan for Massachusetts was a success and public health data shows a decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, allowing for Phase 3 to begin on Monday, July 6th.

revised gatherings order - Under the updated gatherings order, indoor gatherings are limited to eight people per 1,000 square feet but, should not exceed 25 people in a single enclosed, indoor space.
Outdoor gatherings in enclosed spaces are limited to 25 percent of the facility’s maximum permitted occupancy, with a maximum of 100 people in a single enclosed outdoor space. This includes community events, civic events, sporting events, concerts, conventions and more. This order does not apply to outdoor, unenclosed gatherings if proper social distancing measures are possible.

new travel advisory: All travelers arriving from out-of-State are expected to self-quarantine for 14 days except that, beginning July 1, travelers from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, and New Jersey arriving in Massachusetts are exempt and need not self-quarantine.

masks – The State Mask Order is still in effect; all visitors and residents are required to wear face masks or face coverings in public places where individuals cannot socially distance from others.

other cases on MV: Tick-borne diseases are on the rise this season. On MV, there have been several cases of Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Ehrlichiosis.

other cases in MA: No people or animals have tested positive for mosquito-borne diseases this season but, two weeks ago, mosquitoes from mid-MA tested positive for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus.

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