COVID-19 illustration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HYANNIS – As Massachusetts sees a COVID-19 7-day average positivity rate of about 22 percent, local lawmakers including Cape & Islands State Senator Julian Cyr have highlighted resources to protect public safety, including Cape Cod’s first Stop-the-Spread site.
The state-funded site provides free testing for residents at the Melody Tent in Hyannis, which has hosted many testing and vaccination clinics over the course of the pandemic though never a Stop-the-Spread site.
The new resource comes as expanded testing was announced by lawmakers across the region, including by Cape Cod Healthcare.
Cyr said that both the Stop-the-Spread site and the vaccination clinics being held this month at Cape Cod Community College are the result of state and federal dollars.
“[Governor Charlie Baker] is working with us closely. The Stop-the-Spread site at the Melody Tent and the vaccination booster site at Cape Cod Community College are made possible by state contracts that were prioritized by the Department of Public Health and the Baker-Polito administration,” said Cyr.
Though testing resources have been expanded and booster shots are accessible across the region, the senator urged residents to take precautions to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
“While these testing resources are being deployed, we continue to urge the public to take appropriate precautions and care this winter. Especially during these next several weeks of this surge, we’re asking people to avoid large gatherings, to wear a mask indoors and help us provide tests for those who need them by avoiding and limiting unnecessary exposures.”
About Grady Culhane
