Cape Cod A 'Testing Desert' Amid Coronavirus Surge: Patch PM

Falmouth MA

24 November, 2020

3:13 PM

Description

Today is Tuesday, Nov. 24. Here's the top stories Patch has been covering on Cape Cod and the Islands. Barnstable County has continued to see a spike in coronavirus cases, and state and local officials expressed frustration that Cape Cod doesn't offer enough tests. During Tuesday's media call with the Cape Cod Reopening Task Force, state Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro) said the region has not received the bulk of the $550,000 it was allocated by the state for testing. The money was awarded to Cape Cod in July as part of the state's supplemental budget. "Cape Cod is a testing desert," Cyr said. According to data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Cape Cod towns are among the least-tested communities in that state. From Nov. 19, Cape Cod towns had between 490 and 6,700 tests per 100,000 people. The low testing rates have occurred despite Cape Cod towns like Barnstable and Wellfleet ranking among the highest in the state for new daily cases per 100,000 people. Read the full story here. Top Stories On Cape Cod and the IslandsMissing Fisherman's Family Not Giving Up Hope After Boat Sinks It's been more than 24 hours since a fishing boat with four people onboard sank 20 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, and as of Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard hasn't been able to find the fisherman. The U.S. Coast Guard hasn't identified the fishermen, but family members to one of the men, Jeffrey Matthews, told reporters they haven't given up hope that they will be rescued. Matthew's niece Natasha Dobson told WGME 13 News her uncle is an experienced fisherman who has been lost at sea before. She said she's hopeful that experience will pull him through. Oak Bluffs Firefighter Airlifted Following Serious Injury An Oak Bluffs firefighter was seriously injured Saturday while preparing for the funeral procession of Allan "Buddy" deBettencourt Sr., who died on November 10 after 58 years with the Oak Bluffs Fire Department. The injured firefighter was Kevin Brennan, Oak Bluffs Public Safety Director Erik Blake told The Martha's Vineyard Times on Monday. Brennan is also property manager for Martha's Vineyard Airport. At the time of the incident, the Edgartown and Oak Bluffs ladder trucks were setting up a flag arch for the funeral procession to pass under. Brenna lost his footing while trying to get down and fell. Cold-Stunned 350-Pound Sea Turtle Washes Up On Cape Cod Beach It's cold-stunned season for sea turtles in Cape Cod waters, and so far this season dozens of Kemp's ridleys and other sea turtles have been rescued by marine researchers. But over the weekend, the Massachusetts Audobun Society had an even bigger challenge when a 350-pound loggerhead turtles washed up on a Truro beach. The turtle was stranded ashore Friday, and the Mass Audubon Society needed the help of Truro's Public Works Department to get it to safety. Barnstable Schools Temporarily Going Remote After Thanksgiving Barnstable Public Schools will switch to fully remote learning for two days after the Thanksgiving break, school officials announced. The update comes as Barnstable jumped into the state's high risk designation for spread of the coronavirus. The town has had 145 new cases in the last two weeks, though just eight of those cases came from the school community. Superintendent Meg Mayo-Brown said all students will attend school remotely on Monday, Nov. 30 and Tuesday, Dec. 1. Wednesday will remain its usual remote day, and students are expected to return to hybrid learning on Thursday, Dec. 3. Across MassachusettsNatick Will Bury Mashpee Wampanoag Man Taken From Grave Alexander Quapish died in 1776. He was disinterred by a likely amateur archeologist, spending the last 150 years at a Harvard museum. 6 Residents Die After COVID Outbreak In Andover Assisted Living Facility In the past month, 50 residents and 21 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. Seven employees have recovered. Cook Safely This Thanksgiving In MA: Tips To Avoid Fire Thanksgiving is the number one day for house fires in the United States.