PROVINCETOWN, MASS. (WHDH) - The Provincetown Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to reinstate an indoor mask requirement at an emergency meeting Sunday as the popular tourist destination sees an increase in COVID-19 cases.
As of Friday, 430 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 linked to Provincetown had been officially reported to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Town Manager Alex Morse announced. Of those cases, 342 are Massachusetts residents, including 153 who reside in Provincetown.
Nearly 70 percent of cases linked to the cluster are among individuals who are reportedly fully vaccinated.
The Delta variant has also been detected in the area.
Tourists said they plan to adhere to the new mask mandate.
“We’re already vaccinated but there is that delta variant out there that people are kind of wary about so we’ll mask up when it’s appropriate,” tourist Colton Fletcher said.
The mask mandate will stay in effect until the town’s positivity rate falls below three percent for at least five days, in which case the mandate will shift to an advisory.
If the positivity rate falls under one percent for at least five days, the advisory will be lifted.
Morse said the town will run expanded testing and vaccination sites through July 30 and will continue wastewater surveillance to track the virus.
Boston has recommended anyone who has traveled to Provincetown in the last few weeks to isolate until they get tested.
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