July 21, 2021 | Provincetown Response to COVID-19 Cases Ongoing
Additional Cases Attributed to Cluster; Testing and Vaccination Resources Extended
July 21, 2021 | Provincetown, MA â With response to COVID-19 cases in Provincetown ongoing, public health surveillance has identified additional cases associated with the cluster that prompted the Town of Provincetown and the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment to issue a public health advisory earlier in the week. As case investigations progress, municipal, county, and state health officials have expanded access to safe and reliable COVID-19 testing and vaccination through Friday, July 30.
As of Tuesday, July 20 at the end of the day, 256 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 had been officially reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health associated with the Provincetown cases. Of these cases, 190 are Massachusetts residents, 109 of which reside in Barnstable County. The remainder of individuals who tested positive reside in other states or jurisdictions outside of Massachusetts. Case investigation is ongoing, including the vaccination
status of individuals.
Public health authorities continue to strongly urge Provincetownâs residents, local businesses, and visitors to follow the precautions outlined in the advisory released Monday, July 19 regardless of vaccination status.
Testing is our best tool to identify those who have been exposed and slow the uptick in cases. Public response to COVID-19 testing has been robust, with over 3,000 tests having been administered in Provincetown since July 1. Anyone experiencing even mild symptoms should get tested, as well as anyone who has had a close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. Testing is encouraged regardless of vaccination status. COVID-19 testing continues to be conducted at Veterans Memorial Community Center parking lot located at 2 Mayflower Street, Provincetown (off Winslow Street). Testing has been extended through Friday, July 30 from 10AM-3PM daily. COVID-19 testing is free and does not require an appointment.
Vaccination is also available at the Veterans Memorial Community Center testing site through July 30. The site offers the two-shot Pfizer mRNA vaccine and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Vaccination is free, easy, and no appointment, ID, or insurance is required. Public health officials continue to stress the importance of vaccination and have ramped up efforts to reach any unvaccinated individuals who live in or visit Provincetown. So far in July, 90 individuals have been vaccinated in Provincetown at either the Veterans Memorial site or Outer Cape Health Servicesâ Provincetown Health Center. Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have all been administered. Provincetown has among the highest vaccination rates in the Commonwealth, with nearly all residents age 12 and older fully vaccinated. Vaccination remains our strongest defense in preventing serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.
In addition to the mobile testing options, COVID-19 testing and vaccination remains available at Outer Cape Health Servicesâ location in Provincetown. Individuals seeking testing and/or vaccination can either call the Outer Cape Health Services Patient Access Center at (508) 905-2888 to schedule a test OR they can arrive at the Provincetown health center at 49 Harry Kemp Way and call from OUTSIDE: (508) 487-9395, ext. 1
Individuals are also strongly encouraged to enable the Massachusetts exposure notification technology, MassNotify, on their phones. Users can anonymously notify others that they have tested positive for COVID-19 and receive alerts about possible exposures to COVID-19 through this technology. For instructions on enabling MassNotify on your smartphone, visit Learn more about MassNotify | Mass.gov
Additional information about testing elsewhere in the region can be found on the Barnstable County website.
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