MONTAGUE — After not having any positive COVID-19 cases during much of July, the town has now documented seven positive cases between July 25 and Aug. 7, with three of them having been documented this past week.
Public Health Director Daniel Wasiuk said this data marks a “bit of an influx in cases.” The town had documented zero positive cases in the two-week rolling case count between July 10 and July 24. As the contagious Delta variant puts the world on alert, the town looks to monitor the situation closely and respond accordingly.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health statistics show that 61 percent of individuals in Franklin County were fully vaccinated as of Aug. 5, while 68 percent of individuals have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Wasiuk said there has been a “considerable slowdown” of people calling the Montague Health Department inquiring about getting vaccinated.
Even as more people get vaccinated, public health officials around the globe say the Delta variant’s emergence necessitates caution. While Wasiuk said that “the symptoms have not been as severe” when it comes to “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases that bypass the vaccine, he also said Montague residents can expect a continuation of mask mandates in public settings.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.