Martha's Vineyard Reports Coronavirus Cluster Following Wedding

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA—Nine individuals have tested positive for coronavirus after attending a Martha's Vineyard wedding on October 11.

According to a statement released on Tuesday, The Island Boards of Health are continuing to investigate the outbreak following the wedding, which violated the Massachusetts traveler's guidance that requires those who are traveling from a high-risk state to fill out a travel form and quarantine for 14 days or show a negative test result within 72 hours of entering the state.

“The source of the outbreak is believed to be event guests who left the Island the morning after the event,” the statement said. “Contact tracers have reached out to the individuals connected to this event to advise them of their exposure and their need to quarantine and be tested. We continue to investigate in the hopes of preventing any further spread associated with the event.”

"Although this outbreak is unfortunate, the wedding is only one of many public gatherings held on the Island and should also serve as a reminder that we must remain vigilant in observing COVID safety guidelines."

Seven of the nine people who have tested positive for the virus tested positive on the island. Of the nine who tested positive, five were workers at the October 11 wedding and four were guests. Of the seven cases on the island, two people have been released from isolation.

Although there have been scattered COVID-19 cases on Martha's Vineyard, this is the first coronavirus cluster the island has experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. Nantucket saw a similar cluster as a result of a church gathering in late September.

The new cases on Martha's Vineyard come as Massachusetts sees an increase in COVID-19 cases. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 1,137 new cases in its update on on Wednesday, bringing to total number of cases to 150,498. The state also reported 36 new deaths as a result of COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 9,700.

In Massachusetts, private indoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of 25 people, private outdoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of 50 people, and public outdoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of 100 people. State health officials are urging people to continue to follow these guidelines, practice social distancing, and wear masks consistently.