FALMOUTH – With the highly-contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 making its way through the region and nation, Falmouth town officials said that they are monitoring cases in town even as hospitalizations remain low.
“We were pretty flat to zero [cases] at the end of June. Anything after July 1 I would assume is Delta. You can see the increase in cases as Delta started to show up,” said Falmouth Health Agent Scott McGann.
“We are definitely seeing more cases over the last three to four weeks. We’ve been averaging about two to 2.5 cases per day.”
Despite increasing case numbers, especially between members of the same household, McGann said that vaccines have done their job in preventing serious symptoms from the disease, such as hospitalizations and death.
Vaccinations have also been on the rise lately, which McGann attributed to more awareness of the more contagious Delta variant.
“Eight-five percent of all our eligible residents have received at least one dose. 77 percent of our eligible residents are fully vaccinated,” said McGann.
He added that without the town’s high vaccination rate, Falmouth would likely be experiencing a large outbreak similar to the surges seen during 2020.
Select board members have considered a mask mandate amid rising case numbers region-wide, and McGann said that while masks would always add a layer of protection, it will be up to municipal leaders to strike the balance between public safety precautions and restrictions.
McGann said that between the town’s high vaccination rate and low hospitalizations, he was not going to urge the select board to enact a mask mandate at this time, though he would not oppose the increased protection face coverings provide.
The select board said that if Falmouth were to experience a similar outbreak to Provincetown, they would reexamine the possibility of a mask mandate.
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