Local News

Cape Cod sees virus surge, several communities considered high risk

Seven communities— Barnstable, Yarmouth, Sandwich, Mashpee, Dennis, Harwich, and Brewster — are now considered by the state high risk for the virus.

Cars line up at Patriot Square as patients queue up outside the Carewell Urgent Care for a COVID-19 test, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, in Dennis, Mass. (Steve Heaslip/Cape Cod Times via AP)

By Associated Press

March 28, 2021

Officials on Cape Cod are pleading with the state for more help as the vacation destination deals with another surge of COVID-19 cases, including multiple cases of new variants that are considered more contagious.

Yarmouth Health Director Bruce Murphy told The Cape Cod Times on Saturday that the region needs fast tracked, emergency vaccination sites.

He said about 20 cases of a variant of the virus first identified in Brazil have been reported on the cape, and a variant first discovered in the United Kingdom has also been detected in the region.

Cape Cod officials say they’re dealing with a third surge in virus cases since the pandemic emerged last year.

Seven communities— Barnstable, Yarmouth, Sandwich, Mashpee, Dennis, Harwich, and Brewster — are now considered by the state high risk for the virus.

School officials in Barnstable switched to fully remote learning late last week after more than 100 students and employees tested positive for coronavirus over the past two weeks.