COVID-19 cases soaring fast on Cape Cod

YARMOUTH, Mass. — Sudden, alarming, steep; those adjectives all apply to the Yarmouth Health Department’s graphic display of COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks.

“We thought we were doing well,” said Yarmouth Health Director Bruce Murphy pointing to a low spot in late February. “And now look at this.”

‘This’ is an at-first stepwise ascent of red bars that in mid-March rocketed to heights not seen since COVID’S high-flying days in mid-January. You can call it a surge, you can call it a spike, or you can call it something more ominous, and that’s the direction Murphy’s leaning.

“I’m feeling it could be the start of the Third Wave,” he said.

In a week, Yarmouth’s positive COVID-19 test rate went from 4.01% to 5.88%, the state’s Department of Public Health reported. In Barnstable, there was an even steeper rise, from 4.99% to 7.49%.

>>>MORE: 90% of MA school districts returning elementary students to in-person learning by April 5, DESE says

Murphy expects Yarmouth will remain in the red when the state’s new public health data comes out later this week, with the positive-testing rate perhaps at or above 6%. And he worries the numbers will continue to climb because of the recent discovery in Barnstable County of the P1 variant.

“It’s a new strain that the state identified,” Murphy said. “And that strain, they say, spreads quicker.”

In fact, within a week after the state’s revelation, cases began climbing in Yarmouth and Barnstable, he said. And they haven’t stopped.

“We were a yellow community for several weeks, and I was hoping we’re even going to go lower to a green community,” Murphy said. “Then, all of a sudden, boom, it just shot right up.

Sean O’Brien, the director of Health and Environment for Barnstable County, said a state testing clinic over the weekend held at the Melody Tent has yet to report back on whether additional P1 cases were found. But he said it’s likely P1 is not the only variant pushing up the numbers in the two towns. There’s also B.1.1.7, also known as the British variant.

“That could be a possibility as well,” O’Brien said. “We’re pretty much under the assumption that many of the cases are B.1.1.7.”

One thing indicating that may be true: B.1.1.7′s contagiousness among children is higher. And Murphy said area schools are reporting a relatively high number of children infected with COVID-19.

While more testing is welcomed, Murphy said what the Cape really needs is more vaccine doses. In Yarmouth, he said 125 shut-ins, most 65 or older, are still waiting to get vaccinated.

“I think the vaccine needs to be distributed from the large mega sites, either the Hynes Center or Gillette,” he said. “We’ve all been saying for several months now that we need more vaccine on the Cape.”

“We receive about 3,500 doses a week,” O’Brien said. “And our goal is to get that out into arms as quick as possible. Right now, we’re using Pfizer, it does require two shots. So usually we have to get second-dose clinics set up as well. But anytime we could see more vaccine, that would be wonderful.”

>>>MORE: AstraZeneca accused of cherry-picking vaccine study data

Until that time, O’Brien urges Cape residents to seize the moment so as not to let this precarious moment get out of hand.

“When you see things like this, it’s time to reinforce masking – double-masking, actually, as CDC recommends – social distancing, making sure if you’re sick you stay home, and then washing hands and using hand sanitizer,” O’Brien said with a smile that suggested he knows everyone is tired of hearing the same old advice.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” he added. “We’re starting to make it through all of this and we can’t give up our vigilance right now.”

Download the free Boston 25 News app for up-to-the-minute push alerts

>> Complete Covid-19 vaccine coverage

RESOURCES:

- Complete local and national coronavirus coverage here

- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Watch Boston 25 NOW

- Download our free apps for your phone and smart TV