(March 22, 2020) Nantucket Cottage Hospital has received confirmation of the first positive case of the COVID-19 coronavirus on the island. The patient is isolated at home and monitoring their symptoms with our clinicians.

The patient was screened at Nantucket Cottage Hospital on Friday, March 20, and the test result was reported positive on Sunday, March 22, less than 48 hours later.

The patient will remain quarantined at home while we monitor their symptoms, and NCH together with the Town of Nantucket Health Department has initiated the process of tracing the patient’s contact with other individuals as well as NCH staff. Due to HIPAA regulations no further patient details will be shared by NCH.

“Nantucket Cottage Hospital is taking every necessary precaution to keep our patients and the island community safe,” said Gary Shaw, President and CEO of Nantucket Cottage Hospital. “We ask that community members continue to educate themselves about this unfolding situation, take it extremely seriously, and abide by all necessary safety measures including staying home, social distancing, hand-washing, and hygiene. We continue to urge all Nantucket residents to act with an abundance of caution, and stay home whenever possible to limit the spread of this virus. Our team at NCH is doing everything we can to care for our island during this challenging time, but we will need the help and support of every member of our community to limit the potential spread of this virus.”

If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including fever, sore throat, coughing, muscle aches, and shortness of breath, please call ahead to NCH to receive instructions about how to arrive.  The drive-through evaluation site at the main entrance of Nantucket Cottage Hospital is open daily, and this service is intended for patients experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness. It is not a voluntary testing site, and if you are well, please do not come and ask to be tested. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.

Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Nantucket Cottage Hospital are urging residents and visitors of the islands to consider the limitations of our critical access hospitals during this unprecedented time of pandemic. For your safety and to save lives, we strongly advise you to STAY AT HOME. The perception that the Islands are a safe haven is not realistic given the limited number of personnel, critical supplies and beds. Our system will not be able to handle the large number of infected patients from rapid community spread which is expected. For your safety and to ensure the safety of our medical personnel on the front line we need you to do the following:

• We are asking you to stay at home
• For those Island residents, only travel for the absolute necessities, such as food or prescriptions
• If you come to the Island – you will only strain our limited resources, putting your life and others at risk
• If you have a summer home here – we are asking you to stay at your home residence –we have limited bed capacity (25 at MVH and 14 at NCH) and that is already strained
• We have limited medical resources here on the Islands and they are dwindling rapidly
• We will not have enough staff to care for you or your loved ones
• Our hospitals are virtually locked down to prevent the flow of people through the facility
• We must act now – to prevent any further spread

Denise Schepici, MPH, President & CEO, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
Gary Shaw, FACHE, President & CEO, Nantucket Cottage Hospital

Nantucket is under a State of Emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic and Nantucket Cottage Hospital is requesting that island residents do not come to the hospital unless they need emergency care that would require them to be admitted, have an urgent health matter that cannot wait, or are an expecting mother in labor. As this situation evolves we will need to focus all our resources on those who need immediate care.

We are also advising anyone traveling to the island, or anyone who has come here to shelter from other cities or towns, that Nantucket has limited medical resources and a surge of cases could quickly overwhelm our hospital. If you have a choice to be on Nantucket or not, we are requesting that you make the decision to stay off the island to avoid a potentially dire scenario for our community and our hospital.

We need everyone on Nantucket to stay home now. Residents should follow every precaution with regards to social distancing, hygiene, hand-washing, and disinfecting much-used surfaces.

The drive-through evaluation site at the main entrance of Nantucket Cottage Hospital will continue to operate and island residents who are feeling symptoms of respiratory illness should utilize this service. Please do not come to the drive-through if you are well and do not have symptoms. It is not a voluntary testing site. The drive-through is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s supply of personal protective equipment, or PPE, that our medical providers need to continue to care for patients. Hospitals across the country are facing shortages and we are concerned that our limited supply could soon be exhausted as this situation continues to evolve. Nantucket Cottage Hospital is appealing to the community for donations of N95 respirator masks, regular ear loop masks, medical gloves and gowns. We would like this request to reach our local contractors, painters, dentist offices, beauty salons, and any other businesses or individuals who may have a supply they could donate. These items are critical to protect our healthcare workers and patients, and will help us prevent the spread of any potential infections in our community.

If you are able to donate any of these items, please drop them off at the loading dock at Nantucket Cottage Hospital off Vesper Lane between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. seven days per week.

Thank you Laura, Chris, and Lorna for underscoring these important messages to our community during the COVID-19 pandemic while staying positive and having fun! Little Liam was the last patient in our old hospital – getting so big! Stay home and stay safe everyone. Thank you for supporting us.