COVID-19 Cases Decrease In Plymouth, But Concerns Still Rising

PLYMOUTH, MA —On Sunday, state officials reported two cases of the B.1.1.7. variant of COVID-19 have been found in Plymouth County in two communities whose names have not been revealed.

A health official of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Omar Cabrera, told Wicked Local the reason for this is because they don’t provide town-level data, just county level for medical privacy reasons, which he told Wicked Local News. As for whether or not the cases reported in Plymouth County were part of the B.1.1.7. variant, Plymouth’s Public Health director, Karen Keane told Wicked Local News that she is unsure about the identity of the strain due to it just recently surfacing in Massachusetts.

However, Plymouth cases of COVID-19 have been declining recently, according to a recent report by the town’s public health organization.

As for the number of cases of the B.1.1.7. variant reported in Massachusetts, public health officials have told Go Local News that there are 70 cases total of the B.1.1.7. strain in the state. The counties it has been found in are Worcester County with 17 cases, 1 case in both Hampden County and Suffolk County, 2 cases in Middlesex County along with Plymouth County, and 6 cases in Norfolk County.

Although there isn’t a lot of information about the B1.1.7. strain other than the fact that it came from the UK, what is known is that it spreads more easily, which is what led to this new strain’s higher rate back in the UK. Another piece of information about it is that it is affiliated with a higher death rate than several other strains of the coronavirus are.

Originally, the total number of cases of B.1.1.7. in Massachusetts was 29, according to a public reporting by the Department of Public Health (DPH), to Microsoft News. DPH officials also stated to Microsoft News that the reason for the recent spreading of B.1.1.7. in Plymouth is due to local transmission in this highly populated county.

DPH officials later reported that the number of cases spread across Massachusetts, therefore increasing its total number to 70 as it currently stands now. As soon as the strain has been identified in the state, DPH officials have encouraged people to continue following COVID-19 guidelines and not let their guard down so they can avoid further spread of the strain.

However, Massachusetts isn’t the only place where the B.1.1.7. strain has spread. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts DPH, Ann Scales told Mass Live News that the B.1.1.7. strain has spread to California and Florida in the United States, South Africa, Brazil, and several other countries across the world after it was first identified in the UK. The news was reported on after Plymouth witnessed a decline in COVID-19 cases in the past week.

The decline of COVID-19 cases in Plymouth has been attributed to several factors, including vaccinations rolling out, which have led groups of people most susceptible to the virus, healthcare workers, first responders, and anyone over the age of 75, to be inoculated first. People are still hoping that more vaccines will be released soon to the public with the hope that by the end of this spring, the vaccine will be available to the general public.

Initially, the spread of the B.1.1.7. strain started after a Boston woman started experiencing symptoms early last January and tested positive for COVID-19 after she came back from visiting the UK, according to Massachusetts DPH’s reporting to WPRI News. As a result, a genetic sample of the B.1.1.7. strain was sent for examination in an out-of-state laboratory where its identity was confirmed.

The majority of cases, however, appear to be “community-acquired” still according to DPH. The CDC also told WPRI News that viruses are expected to change constantly through mutation, which makes way for new variants of them to occur over time. These new variants are typically more contagious and lethal.

As a result of the spread of the B.1.1.7. strain, the Massachusetts DPH has continued to encourage people to follow COVID-19 guidelines such as wearing a mask, maintaining a six-foot distance from another person, and staying at home if you are sick as well as getting tested if you start experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to avoid further spreading of the disease. It’s also important to know that contact tracing has played a pivotal role in limiting the spread of COVID-19.

For more on this story, see Wicked Local Plymouth.