An illustration of COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HYANNIS – COVID cases are on the rise region wide with a post-holiday surge in full swing.
Barnstable County Public Health Nurse Wendy Judd said the latest CDC report places the region’s community transmission rate at High, prompting officials to require masks in federal buildings including the Cape Cod National Seashore and Woods Hole Science Aquarium.
She added that unlike federal buildings, the county is not requiring those in its buildings to mask, though they are adhering to advice issued by the state Department of Public Health.
“In Barnstable County we have a 13 percent COVID rate, that’s 13 out of every 100. So we’re seeing that slowly creep up which puts us in the higher community transmission level,” said Judd.
“The good news is, while there are a lot of cases and we see the climb, hospitalizations are not as high. So people are sick, they’re registering positive, but our numbers are steady at the hospitals.”
She said that residents should consider testing if they experience any symptoms of COVID or are exposed.
Insurance is required to pay for up to 8 tests per month.
Vaccine appointments, including doses for the bivalent boosters, remain available at the Cape Cod Community College clinic. Appointments can be made online here.
About Grady Culhane
