The elite of the Northeast fleeing to their seasonal homes on the island of Martha’s Vineyard in an attempt to escape the coronavirus may have brought the pandemic with them to their idyllic retreat.

Some permanent locals are furious that seasonal residents have flooded the island, potentially bringing the coronavirus with them and putting the healthcare system at risk of collapse, according to NBC News.

Though some residents expressed fear that the part-time island dwellers fleeing from the city would bring the virus with them, others noted in Facebook group discussions that the primarily service industry-based economy could use the infusion of cash to keep things running.

A substantial number of the individuals fleeing to the island are coming from New York City and other Northeast metropolitan areas. New York City is currently the US epicentre for the virus.

As of Thursday, Martha’s Vineyard had eight confirmed cases of coronavirus. The local hospital has tested 113 people, according to the Vineyard Gazette, and none of those confirmed to have the virus has yet required hospitalisation.

However, the potential for the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital to become overrun with patients - especially with an unexpected population surge - is high.

The hospital has 25 beds and seven ventilators. With 25,000 people on the island currently, that breaks down to about one bed for every 1,000 residents.

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Those arriving by ferry are greeted with an illuminated sign warning them to “stay home 14 days” to help prevent the spread of the virus on the island.

Martha’s Vineyard isn’t the only vacation town vying with emergency population booms resulting from those fleeing the coronavirus. Other locations - despite their economies relying on visitors - are doing what they can to turn away visitors.

Officials in South Lake Tahoe, California told visitors to stay home. Markets ran out of food in the Hamptons because they didn’t anticipate the influx of people.

In Sedona, Arizona the mayor asked vacationers to postpone their plans, and officials in the Outer Banks, North Carolina said they would set up checkpoints to turn away visitors.