COVID cluster that infected over 130 people linked to July 4, Massachusetts officials say
Officials in a Massachusetts town are urging residents to mask up after a COVID-19 outbreak linked to the Fourth of July.
A public health advisory was issued in Provincetown on Monday morning after an uptick in confirmed coronavirus cases — 132 in all, according to a news release posted to the city’s Facebook page. Town officials said infections and COVID-like symptoms were reported in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
In response, members of the Provincetown Board of Health voted to beef up the town’s mask rules. Those who have yet to get the COVID shot, including kids under 12, are now required to wear masks both outdoors and in crowded spaces where it may be difficult to social distance, the new mandate states.
Mask wearing is advised but not required for residents who have been vaccinated, however. Masks are also required on all public and private transportation, including rideshare services like Lyft and Uber.
“The most interesting thing to me about this cluster of cases is so many of the people infected were vaccinated,” Dr. Janet Whalen, an internal medicine specialist and member of the Provincetown Board of Health, told NECN, “which sort of means that a lot of the people that are vaccinated who are exposed to it may feel safe, but may also transmit it to others.”
Although rare, people who’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can still become infected. No vaccine is 100% effective, but that doesn’t mean the shot isn’t useful.
These cases, known as “breakthrough infections,” can happen and those who contract the virus two or more weeks after their final dose are still protected from severe illness and death, McClatchy News previously reported.
“You will see breakthrough infections in any vaccination when you’re vaccinating literally tens and tens and tens of millions of people,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s medical adviser, said during a White House COVID-19 briefing in March. “So, in some respects, that’s not surprising.”
Massachusetts reported 269 new COVID-19 cases as of Friday, 132 of which were linked to the Provincetown outbreak, town officials said. Of the Provincetown cases, 89 were Massachusetts residents while the remainder were from out of state.
It’s not clear how many cases were among vaccinated people versus unvaccinated people.
State officials are urging residents to get vaccinated if they haven’t already, avoid crowded settings and get tested if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms.
“Case investigation is ongoing, and the numbers are likely to change as the situation evolves,” officials said.
This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 12:54 PM with the headline "COVID cluster that infected over 130 people linked to July 4, Massachusetts officials say."