JULY 4 HANGOVER

Provincetown COVID Outbreak Grows to 130+, Prompts New Mask Advisory

It’s still unknown how many vaccinated people were infected versus the unvaccinated in the Cape Cod town, officials say.

The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 after the Fourth of July weekend in Provincetown, Massachusetts, has passed 130, despite many being fully vaccinated. Town officials held an emergency meeting on Monday, voting to advise people to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. But some are saying it’s not enough, NECN reports. “I have to say, I’m a little disappointed that we haven’t taken a stronger stand on this. Rather than just advising, we should require masks,” Dr. Janet Whelan, a Provincetown Board of Health member, told the network. The rise of infections is under investigation, said health officials, who have no clear figures yet on the number of vaccinated infected versus unvaccinated. People are urged to get vaccinated if they haven’t yet and to stay home if experiencing COVID symptoms, and masks are required for all unvaccinated individuals if social distancing isn’t possible. Officials and business owners are also supporting local businesses that impose their own mask requirements as well.