Health

Highest hospitalizations ever on Cape Cod

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — It’s a winter on Cape Cod that is bringing the region some of its biggest challenges.

“In the last week we have seen a 90% increase in our hospitalizations – we have never had more people hospitalized on Cape Cod than we have right now,” said State Senator Julian Cyr – Cape & Islands District.

Data from the Mass. Department of Health shows the alarming spike in COVID cases on the Cape over the last week.

>> STATE COVID DATA

On Sunday, nine deaths were reported in Barnstable County.

“234 Cape Coders have died because of COVID-19 and I really fear that number is only going to continue to climb as we are really in this dark winter,” said Senator Cyr.

The Cape Cod delegation has requested that Governor Baker reopen a step-down unit at an unused nursing home in Falmouth.

Barnstable town manager Mark Ells hopes residents on Cape Cod will remain strong and careful in the time during the surge and until mass vaccines arrive on the Cape.

“We ask our public to remain diligent to follow those safety protocols – hopefully, this vaccine will arrive and be distributed & certainly be successful in helping us combat this,” said Ells.

Boston 25 News also reached out to the health department on Nantucket, they currently have beds available but are expecting a surge of cases.

If needed they can call in Boston MedFlight to transport those patients with severe cases of COVID-19 by helicopter off the island and to a hospital in Boston.

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