Nantucket’s first case of the novel coronavirus has been diagnosed, and officials moved immediately to issue a shelter-in-place order for the island, which will begin Monday.

According to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, the patient was tested on Friday, and the results came back Sunday. The individual is quarantined and isolated at home. Local public health officials are working to trace the patient’s contact with other people and hospital staff.

“Nantucket Cottage Hospital is taking every precaution to keep our patients and the island community safe,” Gary Shaw, president and CEO of the hospital, said in a statement. “We ask that community members continue to educate themselves about this unfolding situation, take it extremely seriously, and abide by all necessary safety measures including staying home, social distancing, hand-washing, and hygiene. We continue to urge all Nantucket residents to act with an abundance of caution, and stay home as much as possible to limit the spread of this virus. Our team at NCH is doing everything we can to care for our island during this challenging time, but we will need the help and support of every member of our community to limit the potential spread of this virus.”


Following the positive results, the Nantucket Select Board and the Nantucket health director voted to issue a stay-at-home order, which will go into effect Monday at 5 p.m. and remain in place until at least April 23, officials said.

“All persons living in the Town and County of Nantucket are directed to shelter at their place of residence until further notice,” the town said in a statement. “This is not a ‘lockdown’ and essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants (for delivery or curbside pick-up only) remain open for business.”

The positive test followed after officials on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard expressed concerns about the recent influx of part-time residents, seeking to escape the coronavirus outbreak on the mainland.

“Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Nantucket Cottage Hospital are urging residents and visitors of the islands to consider the limitations of our critical access hospitals during this unprecedented time of pandemic,” the island hospitals said in a joint statement. “For your safety and to save lives, we strongly advise you to STAY AT HOME. The perception that the Islands are a safe haven are not realistic given the limited number of personnel, critical supplies and beds. Our system will not be able to handle the large number of infected patients from rapid community spread which is expected.”


Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker addressed the issue Sunday during a press conference, saying he has heard the concern about part-time residents flocking to the islands.

“We would prefer they not do that and that they stay on the mainland and don’t create additional issues for both of those islands at a point in time when they don’t have the same level of service capacity they would typically have in the summer,” Baker said.

The governor has not yet issued a stay-at-home order for Massachusetts.

On Nantucket, fines for violating the stay-at-home order could reach up to $1,000, according to the town. The order applies to the entire island and, unless you work for an “essential business” or are doing “essential activity,” you should stay home, officials wrote.

“A Shelter in Place Order during a Pandemic such as we are currently in is fairly clear: STAY AT HOME!” the town wrote in a press release outlining the rules of the order. “Such an Order is made because officials are trying to stop the spread of the virus. Such orders are intended to enforce social distancing, or to keep people away from each other to limit the spread of the virus. Going outside for instance is generally not prohibited but doing so in groups is. The danger is being close to other people who are infected, whether they know it or not.”

Below, a breakdown of the activities considered essential on the island, according to the town: