33 Residents, Staff Contract COVID-19 At Cape Cod Nursing Home

WEST YARMOUTH, MA — The state of the coronavirus pandemic on Cape Cod worsened Tuesday, when the Department of Public Health reported 33 new cases at a nursing home in West Yarmouth.

Since July 10, 24 residents and nine staff members at Maplewood at Mayflower Place have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a DPH spokesperson. State health officials said the majority of residents are vaccinated and are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. All staff members who contracted COVID-19 are stable, as of Tuesday afternoon.

"Our COVID-19 Task Force and our community leaders are working in close collaboration with them (DPH) to monitor the positive cases of COVID-19 at Mayflower Place Nursing & Rehabilitation Center," Kim Bragoli, the nursing home's marketing director told the Boston Globe. "We are pleased to see that our vaccination efforts have clearly been effective, as affected residents and staff are exhibiting no or very limited symptoms at this time."

The new nursing home cases come just after Provincetown town officials said more than 130 town residents and visitors tested positive for the virus. The majority of those who tested positive were part of an outbreak of "breakthrough cases," which hit Provincetown during the 4th of July weekend. Breakthrough cases happen when people who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 contract the virus anyway.

DPH officials said they've been onsite at the West Yarmouth nursing home and are offering daily support, including conducting COVID-19 testing, distributing PPE and offering residents monoclonal antibody therapeutics. DPH officials said they've also visited several Cape Cod nursing homes to provide voluntary infection control assessments.

State health officials said the majority of Massachusetts nursing homes continue to report no new cases in residents and staff, though they will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.