Aquinnah Board of Health - COVID-19 Update

To: residents of Aquinnah
From: Aquinnah Board of Health

Date: August 18, 2020

COVID-19 update #14
cases: Since the declaration of the Coronavirus Emergency on March 11, 2020, there have been a total of 83 cases of COVID-19 reported on Martha’s Vineyard.
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Aquinnah’s no-contact Testing Program for Town employees and residents:
*** test kits for COVID-19 are in stock ***
These are at-home PCR test kits that detect a current COVID-19 infection. The test kit includes everything you need to spit in a cup, seal it and mail it. No insurance or payment is required. Please provide your name and address. Contact the Board of Health to arrange a pick-up:
call: 508-645-2309 or email: boh-assistant@aquinnah-ma.gov

The lab will email the test result directly to the person who sent the sample. The Aquinnah Board of Health will be notified in the case of a COVID-19 positive test result. Over 120 test kits have been distributed in Town - 109 tested negative and 0 tested positive.
If there are cases of COVID-19 in Town, contact tracing services will be provided by the Contact Tracing Collaborative (CTC) which is the State House, MA Dept of Health, and Partners-in-Health.

For more information about our community-based test site and the test kits that we use, please visit the Town website and click on Board of Health: www.aquinnah-ma.gov/board-health
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Test MV - Quest Diagnostics drive-thru at the High School for residents and guests:
These are in-car PCR test kits that detect a current COVID-19 infection. The test kit is a self-administered nasal swab that is handed off to test site volunteers. Health Insurance is required, or arrangements can be made for cost-free testing. To make an appointment:
call: 877-336-9855 or register online: http://health.questdiagnostics.com/IHC
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The Aquinnah Board of Health continues to work with State Public Health Officials and seeks advice from the MA Health Boards and the MA Dept of Public Health. We are watching for signs of increased cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 in our area. Health Agent zoom meetings are held weekly to coordinate efforts and promote masks and social distancing Island-wide.
 

MA Travel Order: All adults entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to: 
• complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless you are visiting from a lower-risk state* designated by the Department of Public Health.
• quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts (the 72-hour rule).
• If your COVID-19 test result has not been received prior to arrival, visitors and residents must quarantine until they receive a negative test result. Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day.

*The current list of COVID-19 lower-risk states is: NJ, NY, CT, NH, VT and ME.