VaxBus Set To Arrive In Provincetown Thursday Amid Reports Of Breakthrough COVID Cases
PROVINCETOWN (CBS) -- The VaxBus is headed to Provincetown on Thursday, where a spike of COVID cases have been reported - some of them in people who are fully vaccinated.
Local health officials are looking into roughly 25 breakthrough cases that have occurred since the Fourth of July holiday. So far, they cannot link one event to the spread.
On Tuesday, WBZ-TV spoke with a man who said he couldn't believe it when he learned he was COVID-positive after visiting Provincetown.
"My partner and I have tried to do our best to avoid COVID through 15 months. We got the vaccine as soon as we could. We did our due diligence," said Brent Parrish, who is hospitalized in Boston with a breakthrough case of the coronavirus. "And then it hit so hard, that I've gotten COVID after all this time."
There are two VaxBus mobile vaccine clinics in the state - one is coming to the MacMillian Pier Parking Lot on Thursday. Vaccines are administered on the bus and no appointments are necessary. A VaxBus schedule can be found here.
The recent spike in cases has some businesses in P-Town worried. Some are now changing their rules to require people to wear masks or show proof of their vaccination status before entering their stores.
The town manager has emphasized that "the vaccine works" and symptoms are less severe in those that have received shots.
While experts say both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are more than 90% effective and preventing new COVID-19 infections, some doctors argue that these breakthrough cases highlight a glaring issue with data collection.
The CDC reported roughly 10,000 breakthrough cases among the more 157 million fully vaccinated Americans between January and April 30 of this year. Since then, the CDC stopped tracking mild breakthrough cases and only follows breakthrough cases that result in hospitalization or death.
Health officials are also working to expand access to testing in Provincetown immediately.
Mobile COVID-19 testing will be at the Veterans Memorial Community Center parking lot located at 2 Mayflower Street. Testing does not require an appointment and is free of charge and no insurance information is needed.
Testing will be available on:
Wednesday, July 14, 10AM-2PM
Thursday, July 15, 10AM-3PM
Friday, July 16, 10AM-3PM
Saturday July 17 10AM-3PM
Sunday July 18 10AM-3PM
Monday July 19 10AM-3PM
COVID-19 testing remains available at Outer Cape Health Services' location in Provincetown.
