North Adams Advises Masking Indoors Regardless of Vaccine Status

12:57PM / Monday, December 06, 2021Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Local public health officials are advising that all residents wear face coverings indoors regardless of vaccination status because of the dramatic increase in COVID-19 transmission.

The joint public health advisory was issued Monday by the North Adams Board of Health and the Office of the Mayor and is effective immediately.

"The recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases in the City of North Adams and other communities, including among vaccinated residents, coupled with concerns regarding new COVID-19 variants reminds us of the continuing need for caution in the face of the COVID-19 virus," the release states. "As of [Thursday, Dec. 2], transmission rates are increasing in Berkshire County and the City of North Adams has experienced an increase in cases locally in the past weeks, with further positivity rates anticipated following the Thanksgiving holiday."

North Adams registered a positivity rate of 73.2 per 100,000 people, and averaged nearly 10 new cases a day for the two weeks ending Nov. 27. The city's 14-day average positivity rate on Thursday (when the weekly numbers are posted by the state) was 6.76 percent compared to 3.6 percent for the entire state.

This recommendation is advisory only and does not constitute a public health mandate and is applicable to anyone in North Adams under the age of 5, who is eating or drinking, or who has a medical or disabling condition that impedes communication or that makes the wearing of a mask difficult. Masking is still required on public transportation, schools, health care facilities, and municipal buildings. Privately owned venues and businesses may also require masking.

Residents are also advised to continue the evidence-based mitigation strategies and public health guidance to limit the risk of infection and community spread. These including social distancing; washing hands often with soap and warm water; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; cleaning frequently touched items with household sprays or wipes; covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing; staying home if sick; and getting vaccinated.

Anyone developing any symptoms associated with COVID-19 should stay home and schedule a test. Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Fever or chills or shaking chills
Persistent cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
New loss of taste or smell
Muscle or body aches

In addition, if you have any combination of the symptoms below please contact your healthcare provider regarding the potential of a COVID-19 infection:

Headache
Fatigue
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

Trouble breathing
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusion
Inability to wake or stay awake
Bluish lips or face

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North Adams Planners OK New Event Space for Tourists Resort

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:34AM / Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Tourists' owners say they've been in need of a gathering space for years, based on the number of requests they get.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Tourists Welcome resort was approved on Monday for construction of a building to serve gatherings and the Airport Rooms.

"This is our first opportunity to like fix the biggest thing we screwed up in building Tourists, which was not making a big room," said representative Eric Kerns. "The first year we opened, we got 1,200 event requests the first year, and we've continued to have almost 1,000 event requests every year."

The 140-seat event building will be constructed adjacent to the Airport Rooms on the east end of the State Road property, which operates at Blackinton Operating LLC. The 91-foot-long structure will include a kitchen to serve both the event space and the Airport Room, which will be connected via an enclosed corridor. Overflow parking will be at the Blackinton Mill, also owned by the partnership, with shuttle service for events.

The new building will be set on piers to minimize excavation and will include a deck that will extend behind the Airport Rooms. The building also will utilize an all-electric mechanical system with high-efficiency heat pumps and energy recovery ventilation.

Kerns noted the resort has been erecting tents on that space for events — this will just make the use of the space permanent. He described the trailer being used as a "kitchen" for the Airport Rooms "a very clever two-year solution that has lasted seven years."

"It's just been a a real struggle to find a building that we can build that makes the math make sense given current, you know, construction costs we have come across," he said. "We've come upon a design that works for us, and it's really a continuation of the business that we've been doing. This site is where you've probably seen us put up a tent before, so we already have events of this size on the site."

Tourists was built as a minimalist resort, with the rooms facing the Hoosac River; the new structure will continue that aesthetic with a blank wall facing the road and large windows looking out on the river.

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