No new coronavirus cases were reported on the Vineyard Tuesday, while statewide confirmed cases continued to soar, along with the death toll from the disease.

Tuesday marked the third straight day that the Vineyard numbers remained unchanged, with 11 confirmed cases. No one is currently hospitalized.

At a press briefing Tuesday morning, leaders at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital confirmed that a staff member has tested positive for Covid-19.

The news briefing was hosted by hospital president and CEO Denise Schepici, operations chief and head of nursing Claire Seguin, and hospital spokesman Katrina Delgadillo.

Ms. Seguin confirmed that a member of the hospital staff had tested positive for the virus, but said she could not disclose further details about the case, citing privacy laws.

The positive test has had no impact on staffing “at this time,” Ms. Seguin said, affirming that the hospital’s internal contact tracing protocol was strong.

“We have an internal process that is spearheaded by our infection control team. It is robust and it mirrors what would happen on the outside with our public health nurse,” Ms. Seguin said.

To date the hospital has tested 159 patients, with 126 negative results and 22 pending. Since the outbreak began last month, the hospital has treated at least two inpatients with Covid-19, and has has also flown two coronavirus patients off the Island to Boston for care, according to Ms. Delgadillo. She could not confirm whether it was the same patients.

Ms. Seguin said hospital doctors and nurses are tested for the virus regularly, per state protocol, and she cited the low incidence of positive results as evidence that use of personal protective equipment is working. The hospital is closed to all non-clinical staff, and employees working inside the building have to enter through a separate tent, self-attest as to whether they have symptoms, and have their temperature taken daily.

“Doctors and nurses have been tested based on criteria that is published daily that they need to be,” Ms. Seguin said. “We are tracking those numbers very closely, but I am happy to report that those numbers remain very low of positives because of the hard work people are doing with PPE.”

Statewide there were 1,365 new cases Tuesday, for a total of 15,202 cases. There were 96 new deaths, bringing the total number of people who have died to 356.

Speaking to the press Tuesday, hospital leaders struck a wary tone as they outlined their plan for an expected surge in cases in the coming days and weeks. They continued to urge people to follow the stay-at-home orders.

“I’m cautiously optimistic, but this is not a time for complacency,” Ms. Schepici said. “I do think [social distancing] has helped, but I’m worried that it is still going to pop.”

Every Island town has now extended its stay-at-home order to May 4, with construction bans extended to April 21.

Ms. Schepici said state epidemiologists estimate that a surge, if it does occur, would come within the next two weeks. Preparation will take place in stages, from “minor to major,” hospital leaders said, with a focus on how staffing, quantity of beds and supplies would interconnect with departments throughout the hospital.

They also said that in order to prepare for a surge, seasonal and year-round residents should not expect certain specialty services to be available, such as dialysis or chemotherapy, because those spaces would be used for coronavirus treatment. Ms. Seguin said “key areas” of the hospital had been transformed as preparation, and that a tent had been set up outside for patients who may not need ICU care, but may need oxygen, hydration or other supportive care.

She added that the hospital is prepared to transform both inpatient and outpatient areas.

“For example, we could add 10 beds to our inpatient and ICU area and convert nine infusion bays to observation beds,” Ms. Seguin said. “Keep in mind, this will depend on the level of care that is needed for each person, and these numbers could change.”

She continued:

“We may need to double up on rooms, and have prepared for that. We will utilize all non-traditional patient care areas if needed.”

The hospital has seven ventilation support systems, but those support systems are not all traditional ventilators, Ms. Seguin also said.

“They are comprised of a mix of traditional ventilators, anesthesia machines, and other support machines,” the head of nursing said. “We keep MGH and Partners aware of our needs daily. Partners takes all requests forwards those to the state.”

Hospital spaces have been segregated into Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 areas, Ms. Seguin said, and because of the spacing arrangements staff would be split in certain instances as well.

“We are being fair with how that works,” she said. “And we are preparing for a time where maybe all of the spaces are Covid. It’s really a space thing.”

Despite the strains, hospital leaders assured that staff are in a state of readiness.

“They are stressed. This is a hard time,” Ms. Seguin said. “But with that being said, they have superseded any of our expectations.”