Patient being tested at the Cape Cod Healthcare drive-thru facility at Cape Cod Community College
HYANNIS – Barnstable County health officials are expecting the number of COVID-19 cases on Cape Cod to peak or plateau in the coming weeks.
“We expect to see some more cases coming up over the next couple of weeks and within the next couple of weeks we are thinking that is going to either peak or plateau and then we start to see the number of cases recede,” said Sean O’Brien, Director of the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment.
“The sooner it peaks, the better for us and we see it recede even quicker and that is an important thing for us.”
Officials are continuing to remind people that social distancing can help flatten he curve of the spread of the virus.
The stay at home advisory issued by Governor Baker last week is also helping slow the spread, Health Officials said.
“It’s important for all of us to adhere to Governor Baker’s advisory and stay at home,” continued O’Brien.
O’Brien said noted that the second phase of funding from Baker’s office to aid municipalities across the state should be coming towards the end of the week.
The money, which totals $200,000, will be distributed to the 15 Cape Cod towns.
The drive-thru testing site at Cape Cod Community College remains highly active and on Monday serviced 93 cars.
The number of cars at the facility does not represent the exact number of people who were tested.
O’Brien said that anybody who has been in contact with a person who has had symptoms should not have an issue getting a doctors order to be tested at the facility.
Though personal protective equipment remains scarce across the state, Cape Cod is seeing some medical supplies come in from the national stockpile through the federal government and the state.
The PPE is not coming to Barnstable County in large quantities, however.
Officials are hoping that new testing equipment that was recently announced by President Trump will make its way to Barnstable County.
The equipment is expected to provide instantaneous test results, which O’Brien said would be better for everyone.
Health officials also spoke about the possibility of the virus reaching a plateau as the summer months approach but then returning in the fall as the weather gets colder.
O’Brien said that if this is the case, it gives medical professionals time to re-stock on PPE and be better prepared for another wave of cases.
He was also hopeful that if another wave was to hit in the fall, that a vaccine or some form of treatment would be close to being ready.
The pandemic has taught county health officials that everyone needs to be prepared if something similar happens in the future.
O’Brien compared it to preparing for a storm or hurricane.
A big factor that officials have taken from the pandemic is that it is possible to communicate with a mass amount of people electronically.
It allows residents to practice good public health and still be able to communicate with one another.
O’Brien added that the Barnstable County Department of Health wants to make sure that people can contact them if they have any questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment can be reached at 508 375 6613.
Residents can also visit their website,barnstablecountyhealth.org.
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