Pittsfield Seeing Decrease in Average Rate of COVID-19 Cases

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After a month of sharp COVID-19 increase, the city is seeing a decreasing average case rate.

"With regards to the number of cases we have been seeing, we continue to get high and low case days," Director of Public Health Andy Cambi wrote in an email on Friday. "It is a similar trend we have seen with past spikes. The cases would slowly decrease, usually taking periodic significant drops and then leveling off for a time."

There were 94 new cases on Thursday, 75 on Wednesday, 124 on Tuesday, and 46 on Monday.

The average case rate per 100,000 people is 223.6 after peaking at an all-time high of 283.1 on Jan. 16.  
The positivity rate is now 16.8 percent, down from 18.1 on Jan. 17. That metric was close to the pandemic's highest positivity rate of 19.2 that occurred in early April 2020.

Similarly, the number of estimated actively contagious cases has dropped to 445, whereas there were 790 on Jan. 15.  

There are currently 21 COVID-positive patients on precautions in Berkshire Medical Center. Pittsfield's 14-day hospitalization rate is 1 to 1.94 for vaccinated to unvaccinated patients.

Some 85 percent of residents are vaccinated with at least one dose and 74 percent of the community is fully vaccinated.  

Cambi was unable to be at Tuesday's City Council meeting for a COVID-19 update but provided graphs that confirm the drops in cases and hospitalizations.

BioBot sewage testing also showed a decrease in virus concentration followed by a drop in cases.

Berkshire Delegation Details Efforts to Help Berkshires

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:20PM / Tuesday, April 07, 2026

BCAC Executive Director Deborah Leonczyk opens the conversation. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Legislators say they are advocating for programs and services that Berkshire County residents need the most, amidst federal funding cuts. 

 

State Sen. Paul Mark said state lawmakers are trying to ensure programs that are important to this region are funded well, have resources, and work in rural communities. 

 

When it comes to policy, he said, they are trying to make decisions that better reflect the things people need to get out of economically challenging times. For example, the Legislature recently provided $35 million for fuel assistance in the current fiscal year.

 

The senator said he understood how some are struggling, recalling how when he was young, his father lost his job and his family "fell on some really hard times that lasted for a really long time."

 

"Whenever I talk about going through those hard times, I always like to point out that most of the time, my father still worked, and it didn't matter. We still needed food stamps. We still lost our house repeatedly. We still had to move around. I went to four different elementary schools because we were challenged through no fault of our own," Mark said. 

 

"And so whenever I have a chance to talk, I tell that story, some version of it, because it's important to also remember there's a stigma, and that stigma doesn't need to be there. It shouldn't be there." 

 

His comments came during Berkshire Community Action Council's March 27 community conversation on poverty featuring professionals in mental health care, housing, food, transportation, child care, financial literacy, and education.