Free COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic individuals through the state’s “Stop the Spread” strategic testing program has been extended on Nantucket through March 31, and the testing site location will move next week from Nantucket Cottage Hospital to the Nantucket Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) facility off New South Road.

The Stop the Spread program supports the testing of asymptomatic individuals to stop the spread of COVID-19 by providing low barrier, free, and easy-to-access testing for those with no symptoms. No appointment is necessary, and tests are provided on a first-come, first-served basis during hours of operation.

On Monday, Dec. 21, the location for Stop the Spread asymptomatic testing will move to the VFW building at 22 New South Road, which is accessed via Milestone Road. Testing will be done inside the facility with appropriate physical distancing, so individuals should park their vehicle and walk into the main entrance of the VFW where they will receive a number and instructions from staff. Up to 75 free asymptomatic tests will be provided per day.

Testing for those with symptoms and anyone exposed to someone with an active case of COVID-19 will continue at the Nantucket Cottage Hospital drive-through at 57 Prospect Street. (more…)

Dec. 5, 2020
For immediate release

On Saturday morning, we reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 among patients who were tested at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. This number includes some test results that were still pending from Wednesday, and nearly all of the testing results from Thursday and Friday. This is obviously a significant number of new cases, and while it is important to know these daily testing results as they are returned from the lab, it is more important to look at the trend, which is also very concerning. A total of 159 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified on Nantucket over the past week, and the seven-day positivity rate, which is the percent of tests that come back positive, has climbed to 10.9%. That is the highest rate we have seen since the start of the pandemic.

Among the individuals who have tested positive this week, we have seen an age range from 9 months up to 60 years old. The majority are people in their 20s and 30s. This is important because we know that COVID-19 has more severe impacts on people who are older, and have underlying health conditions. We are seeing transmission of the virus within households, and at this time we believe that this surge is impacting between 40 to 60 homes across the island.

COVID-19 cases have reached record highs in Massachusetts and across the country, and Nantucket is experiencing a similar surge that requires our vigilance. We are grateful, and lucky, that none of these recent active cases of COVID-19 have required hospitalization yet, but the sheer number of people we have diagnosed over the past week is very troubling.
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