COVID-19 illustration by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HYANNIS – Even as the region currently sees a lull in COVID-19 case numbers, Barnstable County officials are urging residents to remain vigilant about the virus as a new subvariant spreads around the world.
Barnstable’s Health Communications Coordinator Bethany Traverse said the county is performing outreach to make sure the community is prepared in case there is a surge of cases related to the BA.2 Omicron subvariant.
“Things are better for now but it’s not over and we want people to be vigilant,” Traverse said.
Traverse also said people should stay on top of their vaccinations and booster shots. She also shared a recommendation from the county for families with children.
“We encourage people to vaccinate their children because COVID is still impacting our community and we want people to be prepared,” Traverse said.
For testing options and vaccine clinic information, the county official advised members of the public to visit the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment website for a full calendar of opportunities.
Although Traverse said some programs may taper off after March, there is still weekly PCR testing at the Orleans DPW and vaccination clinics at the Barnstable County Complex and the state-run program at 4Cs.
Traverse also reminded people of free test kits that are still available through this government website.
“We never assume that COVID is going to be off the radar anytime soon. We’re always going to be watching. We’re always going to be communicating with the state and following CDC recommendations and passing those along to the public,” Traverse said.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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