BOSTON  — More than 130 new cases of COVID-19 have been linked to a surge in cases in a popular Cape Cod resort town.

State health officials said Wednesday night that they have traced 256 cases to a Fourth of July cluster in Provincetown, up from 132 the day before.

The rise in cases has prompted some local bars and restaurants to require proof of vaccination from patrons. Town officials are also encouraging residents and visitors to wear masks indoors when social distancing isn’t feasible. Unvaccinated people are required to wear masks indoors and outdoors.

One local business owner urged visitors to stay away if they haven’t been immunized.

“People can choose not to get vaccinated, they can choose to travel — that’s their choice,” Ken Horgan, owner of the Pilgrim House, told The Cape Cod Times. “But I don’t have to choose to let them expose my team.”

The establishment, which offers lodging, dining and entertainment, is now verifying the vaccination status of patrons and requiring employees to take COVID-19 tests.

Thirty-five of the people whose COVID cases have been linked to Provincetown live in Boston, and that city’s officials are now asking anyone who has recently traveled to Provincetown to get tested for the virus.


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