HARWICH – Harwich town and health officials gave an update on the spread of COVID-19 in the community at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting.
Harwich Health Director Meggan Eldredge said that the town is experiencing the highest number of active cases they have seen so far outside of long-term care facility, even when compared to the spring surge in cases.
“It is concerning. We are seeing numbers increase daily and not just in Harwich. Throughout the county we’re seeing bigger numbers than we have over the summer,” said Eldredge.
“We’re seeing that our positivity rate is increasing and our incidents rate is increasing.”
Eldredge said that the Harwich community and Barnstable County at large is experiencing community-spread of the virus, which she said means that people becoming infected are unsure where they came into contact with the virus, rather than being able to trace the infections to a specific spreader events.
According to Eldredge, Halloween holiday parties likely contributed to the rise in case numbers as well, after holiday event-goers came into contact with the virus and inadvertently helped it transition to household spread.
Eldredge said that she was pleased by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health updating its quarantine guidelines for asymptomatic close-contacts of those who came into contact with someone who has the virus.
The guidelines now present the option to receive a molecular diagnostic test on day 8 of quarantine and, if the test comes back negative, leave quarantine after just 10 days as opposed to the usual 14.
“It’s backed by scientific evidence. DPH is in agreement that this is an accurate way to control the spread of COVID. If you’re an asymptomatic close contact, you have this option now.”
Eldredge said that she was also happy with the recent funding that Barnstable County received to set up testing sites that are planned to roll out in coming weeks.
One of the sites will be set up on the Barnstable County Fairgrounds, while another site’s location is yet to be decided.
A mobile testing service is also in the works, said Eldredge.
“These will be great options for people that don’t have insurance, don’t have a primary care provider, or don’t have a referral. They’re not quite Stop the Spread sites that you see off-Cape that you can just go get tested anytime, these sites you’ll require an appointment. But they will take asymptomatic and symptomatic people.”
Stop the Spread is a state program providing free, no-appointment-needed COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic residents.
The nearest Stop the Spread testing site to Cape Cod is in New Bedford.
“That’s a great thing we are lacking: testing sites on the Cape,” said Eldredge.
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