Number of new COVID-19 cases on Cape Cod declines slightly

Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times
·3 min read

The state Department of Public Health said Thursday the number of new COVID-19 cases on Cape Cod has declined by 60 cases in the most recent two-week reporting period.

State public health officials said there were about 1,380 new COVID-19 cases in Barnstable County on the Cape May 8-21, the most recent 14-day reporting period.

On May 19 the DPH reported 1,440 new cases on Cape Cod during the reporting period May 1-14.

State public health officials also said in their weekly report on cities and towns that the most recent 14-day testing positivity rate on Cape Cod had declined to 10.13%, a slight decrease versus the 10.62% rate reported a week ago.

In its daily report , the DPH reported 3,485 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, for a total of 1.7 million since the pandemic began.

They also said there were 475 new probable cases for a total of 151,611.

Barnstable County had 81 new cases of coronavirus, according to the daily report, for a total of 38,746.

The seven-day testing positivity rate for the state is 8.32%, the DPH said Thursday.

More: No masking orders in place as increasingly contagious COVID-19 yields to milder illness

A Stop the Spread PCR testing clinic was held at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis in January. The COVID-19 testing was free. Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times
A Stop the Spread PCR testing clinic was held at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis in January. The COVID-19 testing was free. Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times

The DPH said as of Wednesday, 814 patients in Massachusetts hospitals had COVID-19, 63% of whom — or 511 — were fully vaccinated and 34% of whom — or 275 — were being treated primarily for a coronavirus-related illness.

Cape Cod Hospital had 14 patients with COVID-19, including one in intensive care. Falmouth Hospital had nine patients with coronavirus, none of whom were in the ICU.

The number of hospitalized patients with coronavirus as of Wednesday represented a decline from last week, when Cape Cod and Falmouth hospitals had 28 patients with COVID-19.

Health officials said in the daily report there were 17 newly confirmed COVID-19 fatalities in Massachusetts, increasing the total to 19,392 since the pandemic began.

There were no new probable coronavirus fatalities, but there has been a total of 1,169.

The average age of death from COVID-19 is 81, the DPH said.

Barnstable County had two new COVID-19 fatalities, for a total of 593 since the pandemic began, according to the daily report.

The number of new cases during the last two weeks, total cases, and 14-day positivity rates for towns on Cape Cod follows:

Barnstable (300; 10,079; 10.70%); Bourne (123; 3,757; 9.02%); Brewster (73; 1,523; 9.06%); Chatham (30; 860; 9.31%); Dennis (80; 2,390; 8.91%); Eastham (32; 513; 14.80%); Falmouth (204; 4,698; 9.46%); Harwich (83; 2,157; 9.57%); Mashpee (95; 2,634; 10.04%); Orleans (43; 803; 14.97%); Provincetown (6; 463; 4.65%); Sandwich (121; 3,675; 9.79%); Truro (less than five; 182; 1.59%); Wellfleet (less than five; 280; 2.41%); and Yarmouth (186; 4,651; 12.63%).

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: The number of new COVID-19 cases on Cape Cod ticks downward