MATTAPOISETT — After initially releasing a statement on March 30 that there were coronavirus cases in town without releasing how many people were infected, officials updated that information the next day and said that there were 7 confirmed cases and 15 people in quarantine in town.  

There are also three people who have completed quarantine. The town did provided patient ages or conditions for any of the cases. There are likely more unconfirmed cases due to a lack of available tests and strict restrictions on who may be tested.

State officials offered conflicting advice on how much information to give out on cases.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health advised on March 27 that towns not disclose the number of cases in their area. Later that day, Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said that communities should release the numbers to inform residents.

Mattapoisett Board of Health agent Kayla Davis initially said that the town would follow the Department of Public Health’s advisory to not release numbers, but later the town decided to give statistics.

Tobey Hospital in Wareham is ramping up its capacity and stock of supplies to combat the sharp increase in cases.

“We currently have hundreds of beds available across the system,” said Southcoast Health Public Information Officer Shawn Badgley. “A bed can become an ICU bed if need be with the use of a ventilator... It’s also about ensuring we have good logistics in place to have the equipment on hand, to source more equipment, as we continue to do, and be sure that that equipment can be shifted from hospital to hospital if need be.”