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Summer hotspot Provincetown issues face mask advisory after new COVID outbreak

By
Social Links for Kenneth Garger
Published July 19, 2021
Updated July 20, 2021, 8:11 a.m. ET

A coronavirus outbreak linked to a Cape Cod summer vacation hotspot prompted local health officials on Monday to institute a new mask advisory, a report said.

Residents in Provincetown, Massachusetts, are being advised to wear the face coverings indoors following the cluster of 132 cases that is believed to have stemmed from Fourth of July celebrations, NBC Boston reported.

Many of those infected are fully vaccinated and 89 of them are Massachusetts residents, the report said.

As part of the advisory, passed Monday by the Provincetown Board of Health, high-density venues are urged to enforce vaccination status upon entry, the report said.

Provincetown has issued a new mask advisory after a COVID-19 outbreak occurred after a Fourth of July celebration.
Provincetown has issued a new mask advisory after a COVID-19 outbreak occurred after a Fourth of July celebration.Getty Images

At least one member of the health board felt more action is needed.

A boy with a protective mask fishes on Race Point Beach, part of Cape Cod National Seashore, Monday, May 25, 2020, in Provincetown, Mass.
A boy with a protective mask fishes on Race Point Beach, part of Cape Cod National Seashore, Monday, May 25, 2020, in Provincetown, Mass. AP

“I have to say, I’m a little disappointed that we haven’t taken a stronger stand on this. Rather than just advising, we should require masks,” said Dr. Janet Whelan, according to the report.

A server prepares to carry plates of food to customers at Tin Pan Alley restaurant in Provincetown.
A server prepares to carry plates of food to customers at Tin Pan Alley restaurant in Provincetown. AP