Fact: You can’t get #COVID from the COVID-19 vaccine. Some side effects are fever or feeling tired, and these are most likely signs that your body is building immunity. Learn more: https://t.co/Bm8ycvKCiA #TrustTheFacts #GetTheVax pic.twitter.com/oOzkCShaVc
— Mass. Public Health (@MassDPH) February 18, 2021
| Positive Statewide | 775,963 |
| Berkshire County | 8,434 |
| Deaths Statewide | 18,427 |
| Berkshire County deaths | 316 |
| Seven-Day Positive Test Rate | 2.03 |
| Number of Doses to Date | 9,777,003 |
| Residents Fully Vaccinated | 4,677,864 |
| www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org | |
Oct. 14: The county saw its numbers climb over the past week with 190 new cases for a total of 8,434. There have been 980 new cases since the beginning of September for an average of about 163 a week, or 23 a day. One more death in the county has been recorded for a total of 316.
Pittsfield remains at the yellow level and passed the 4,000 mark for total cases but deaths have remained at 78 for nearly a month. Its vaccination rate for population is 66 percent, with 75 percent having at least one dose. There are 71 actively contagious individuals.
North Adams' total number of cases is at 841 as of Oct. 9, with 49 reported for the two weeks ending on that date. Adams reported 25 during those two weeks for a total of 492. Great Barrington, which has a total of 547 cases, reported zero new ones over the past month.
The state reported just over 9,000 new cases this past week and 775,963 cases total. The number of deaths stands at 18,427 with 85 over the past week.
Hospitalizations have declined by nearly 100 since September, with 567 patients of which 64 percent were unvaccinated. The number of unvaccinated has been close to two-thirds since hospitalizations began to increase in August. The number of patients at BMC is five after being around 10 for the past week.
The seven-day average positive test rate has creeped above 2 percent to sit at 2.03 percent on Thursday. The seven-day state average for positive cases has dropped from 1,896 on Sept. 13 to 968 as of Wednesday.
The count's 14-day average positive rate is 1.55 percent, no change from last week, as of Oct. 12, compared to the state's 1.82 percent. The number of vaccination doses stands at 9,777,003, up about 100,000 over last week, and residents fully vaccinated is 4,677,864, up about 20,000. The vaccination rate in Berkshire County for eligible individuals is 73 percent and those with one dose is 83 percent. The overall rate for population is 65 percent. This is about on pair with the statewide percentages.
Oct. 7: The county recorded 133 new cases and three deaths over the past week, bringing the total to 8,244 and 315, respectively.
Cases declined slightly, with the county recording 19 cases a day compared to 20 the week before, and the state 1,297 this past week, compared to 1,456 last week. These are the lowest numbers since Aug. 26.
Pittsfield had a 129 cases in the two weeks ending Oct. 2, followed by North Adams with 36, Dalton with 30 and Adams with 21. The rest of the county had fewer than 15 cases and many had no cases at all.
Sept. 30: The county is ending the month with 140 new positive cases, down from the 183 reported last week. Since Sept. 2, there have been 657 cases reported, not far below the about 682 reported during August. There were fewer than 100 cases in July.
Pittsfield remains in the yellow and had the highest reported number of cases in the two weeks ending Sept. 25 at 159. The total number of cases to date in the city is 3,847 or about 47 percent of all cases -- 8,111 -- since March 2020. Dalton reported 29 cases and North Adams 25, the rest of the Berkshires reported 15 or fewer, with many reporting no cases. North Adams has had a total of 785 positive cases, Great Barrington 545, Adams 468, Dalton 383 and Williamstown 349.
The statewide seven-day average of positive cases has dropped from 1,892 on Sept. 13 to 1,080. The seven-day postivity rate has been below 2 percent for nearly a week and was 1.94 percent on Thursday. Hospitalizations and deaths have also taken slight dips in average.
There were no deaths in the Berkshires in the past two weeks but there were 99 statewide for a total of 18,240.
BMC reports nine patients on COVID-19 precautions; there are 618 patients statewide of which 100 are intubated. The percentage of patients who were unvaccinated has consistently ranged between 67 and 69 percent, or more than two-thirds. Sixty percent of those admitted were age 80 and older but the average age of patients has been around 35.
Nearly 24,000 residents became fully vaccinated in the past week, at 4.6 million, and the number of doses administered is at 9,529,937. The percentage of eligible vaccinated individuals in Berkshire County is 72 percent (65 percent of the population) and the percentage with one dose in 82 percent. The Berkshires is about on par with most of the state's counties and is ahead of Franklin (71), Hampshire (65) and Hampden (63). Outside of the islands (both more than 100), the Cape and Middlesex counties are the highest at 80 percent.
BMC will begin offering booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine on Friday for individuals age 65 and older or who have certain conditions.
Sept. 23: There are indications the number of positive novel coronavirus cases are on a downward trend both in the county and the state. The number of fully vaccinated state residents has risen by at least 30,000 in the past week and the number of hospitalizations has continued to decline from a high in early September.
More than 6 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally and 386,156,227 nationwide. Massachusetts ranks second in states with the highest number of residents with at least one vaccine dose. Total vaccinated individuals is now at more than 4.6 million. Berkshire County has a rate of 72 percent of eligible individuals vaccinated and 82 percent who have had at least one dose. That still trails county in the eastern part of the state with Cape Cod at 80 percent and islands at 103 but is above the other three Western Mass counties of Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin.
There were 183 cases reported in the past week for the second consecutive week, still down from a high of 221 for the weekend ending Sept. 2. There were 321 positive cases for the two weeks ending Sept. 18. During that period Pittsfield again reported the highest number of cases at 146, followed by North Adams with 26 and Sandisfield with 20. The majority of county towns had no cases or fewer than five.
Pittsfield is still at the yellow level and reports 66 active cases and 65 percent of its population fully vaccinated. It had a 14-day positivity rate of 2.6 percent, with Great Barrington second with 1.63 percent, Adams at 1.51 percent and North Adams 1.47 percent.
There were two deaths bringing the total to 312. Statewide, the number is now 18,141 and nationwide, 682,816.
The state is indicating a drop in the number of positive cases from a high of more than 2,000 on Sept. 9 to just over 1,200 on the Sept. 22. Deaths, however, have increased to a seven-day average of 12.1 on Sept. 21, up from 11.6 on Sept. 6. The seven-day average of hospitalization has decreased by 600 after a high of 1,892 on Sept. 13. There are now 606 patients, of which 397, or 66 percent, are not vaccinated and 96 are intubated. Berkshire Medical Center has reported 11 patients for the past few days.
Sept. 16: The number of new positive cases in the county has remained fairly flat over the past month with an average of 184 a week. This is still very high compared to an average of 20 a week through July.
There are now a cumulative number of 7,788 cases and 310 deaths, four within the past week. The state reports 736,279 cases, with 1,999 in the last day, for a seven-day average of 1,333, and 18,046 deaths, 92 in the last week.
In the two weeks ending Sept. 11, Pittsfield reported 132 cases, followed second by Adams with 23. The rest of the county had 20 or fewer, with North Adams recording 18, Great Barrington 17 and Williamstown 19. The total case count is 350 for those two weeks.
There have been a number of cases in the schools but little spread; the Berkshire County House of Correction reported about 20 positive cases but no illness.
Adams 14-day positivity rate was 2.47 percent, North Adams 1.16 percent and Pttisfield 2.34. Pittsfield reports 83 active cases and 77 total deaths, with two in the last month and three since March.
The county's 14-day incident rate is on par with Franklin's at just under 20 cases per 100,000; the highest is Hampden, which contains the city of Springfield, with about 40 per 100,000. Hampden and also had the highest total case count for Western Mass for those weeks at more than 2,500; the lowest statewide was Dukes and Nantucket at 89.
Hospitalizations have not been rising in proportion to new cases. Statewide there are now 675 patients (compared with a seven-day average of nearly 4,000 in April 2020) with fewer than 100 on ventilators. Of those patients, the number who are nonvaccinated has remained around two-thirds. As of Sept. 11, the state's cumulative incident rate for positive cases in fully vaccinated individuals was 0.61 percent, hospitalizations 0.02 percent and deaths, 0.004 percent. There were eight patients reported at BMC.
Williams College is continuing its weekly testing regimen and has required all students to be vaccinated. According to the college, 97 percent of staff and students have submitted proof of vaccination. For the seven days ending Sept. 16, there have been 4,101 tests administered and two positive cases. Since August 2020 when testing began, 128,197 have been administered and 43 students and 29 staff and faculty tested positive.
MCLA also requires vaccinations for students and college employees and is participating in a testing regimen through the Broad Institute. The last update was the seven days ending on Sept. 10, during which 37 tests were administered and no cases were reported. Cases reported to MCLA from other sources totaled four and three were in isolation.
The percentage of eligible individuals vaccinated in Berkshire County is 71 percent and partially vaccinated, 81; the overall vaccination rate is 64 percent. More than 9.3 million doses have been administered in Massachusetts and more than 380 million nationwide. There have been 41,789,037 cases nationwide and 670,034.
Sept. 9: the county reported a drop in positive cases over the past week with 151, compared to 221 the week before. Since the end of August, there have been 372 cases reported. About 40 percent of those cases were in Pittsfield. The total number of cases now stands at 7,605 and deaths at 306, with two more deaths reported on Thursday.
Pittsfield had the highest number of new cases in the two weeks ending Sep. 4 at 143; Adams was third with 38 and North Adams with 27. The 14-day average positivity rate has spiked in smaller communities because of the low numbers of tests compared to positive cases. But Great Barrington, North Adams and Pittsfield are all under 3 percent; Adams, which is considering a mask mandate if cases don't drop, is at 4.75 percent. Clarksburg is at more than 5 percent and had seven total cases during those last two weeks.
Pittsfield is following 55 active cases and has a total to date of 3,617 cases to date. Some 64 percent of city's residents are fully vaccinated. North Adams has had 746 cases total and Adams, 444.
The state reports 723,633 total cases, with 2,096 reported Thursday. There have been more than 10,000 cases the last week but not significantly more than the week before. Deaths now stand at 17,954, up 55 from the week before.
BMC has 10 patients and 11 pending tests; the number of deaths in the hospital are reported at 96. Overall, state hospitalizations have been fairly flat from the week before with more than 600 patients and close to 100 intubations.
The number of COVID-19 cases in vaccinated individuals remains minimal: they make up barely a half percent of infections, two-tenths of percent of hospitalizations and 0.004 percent of deaths. Of the more than 4.5 million fully vaccinated people in the state, fewer than 24,000 have had positive tests and only 762 have been hospitalized. Currently, of the 622 patients reported hospitalized as of Sept. 8, approximately a third are vaccinated. Just over half of all patients are 80 years and older and a third are between the ages of 20 and 49.
The percentage of eligible individuals fully vaccinated in Berkshire County continues to inch up and is now at 71 percent. This is still lower than some eastern parts of the state, for instance Cape Cod is at 79 percent and the islands are at more than 100 percent, which may indicate booster shots or nonresidents. However, the county is at 81 percent of eligibile individuals with at least one dose so the total percentage should improve of the next couple weeks.
Nationally, the total number of cases is more than 40 million and deaths at more than 650,000. More than 5.5 billion doses of vaccine have been administered, 377,000 of those in the United States.
There have been a number of reported cases in the local school districts, including three in North Adams, three to four at BArT and four at Hoosac Valley Regional. No schools have closed but some staff and students have been asked to quarantine.
1) Wash your hands frequently
2) Cover sneezes and coughs
3) Avoid close contact with people if you or they are ill
4) Don't touch your eyes, face or mouth
5) Disinfect frequently touched surfaces
Health Secretary Marylou Sudders demonstrates the correct way to wash your hands.
Cancellations, Closures & Changes 😷
Phase 3, Step One of state reopening began on July 6.
Please assume that your local governmental offices, libraries and COAs are closed or operating under limited conditions. Use your town's official website for business or call to find out what precautions have been put in place. Always call ahead to ensure your destination is open.
July 21: Gov. Charlie Baker extended the pause on evictions and foreclosures for 60 days, until Oct. 17, 2020, through the authority granted to the governor by Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2020, An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 Emergency, which was signed into law on April 20, 2020.
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere because @MassGovernor just signed my cocktails to go bill into LAW. Thanks for supporting our local restaurants! https://t.co/YUwyANsVdl
— Diana DiZoglio (@DianaDiZoglio) July 20, 2020
• The Pittsfield RMV is appointment only for only critical services that cannot be done online or over the phone. Check the website for licenses and certificates that have been extended.
• Restaurants are open to outside dining and limited in-door dining; many are still offering takeout options. Bars are closed to on-premise consumption.
• Most performances, clubs, fundraisers still cannot be held.
• Indoor activities cannot exceed 25 people in a single enclosed, indoor space. This includes worship, movie theaters, museums and other cultural institutions.
• Fitness centers, health clubs, indoor recreational activities and personal services such as nail salons, barbers and hairdressers can open if abiding by masking, sanitation, social distancing and limited access.
• Most state programs are canceled and non-essential executive branch employees have been ordered to stay home.
• Banks are currently open for drive-up, online banking, ATMs; some lobbies began opening on July 6. Check with your bank.
• All groceries, pharmacies, department, convenience and other retail stores are open; masking and social distancing required.
• Child-care centers open only for essential personnel. Visitation at nursing homes and medical facilities have been broadened although anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should avoid entering care facilities.
• Other services and organizations are mainly open for phone consultation and limited person-to-person contact.
What you can do
Take a walk or a bicycle ride. Spring clean. Call friends or Facetime. Get your garden ready. Check on folks who may need help. Watch a movie. Order from your favorite restaurants. Take a deep breath. Wash your hands.
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Northern Berkshire COVID-19 Operations Center
Residents can call with questions at 413-662-3614, answered between 8 and 5 weekdays and voicemail for after hours, or use nbcovid@gmail.com.
Berkshire Medical Center
Toll-free hotline for questions staffed seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m: 1-855-BMC-LINK or 1-855-262-5465.
Berkshire Health Systems also has page with upated information here.
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
Southwestern Vermont Health Care has an information page with links to public health websites for area states.
The COVID-19 hotline is staffed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The number is 802-440-8844.
Communities
North Adams COVID-19 updates has links to information and to subscribe to a daily email update.
Pittsfield's COVID-19 page has links to a daily update page and to subscribe for alerts
Other Information Sites
Massachusetts Department of Public Health: 617-983-6800
Vermont Department of Health: 802-863-7240
New York Department of Health: 888-364-3065
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services: call 603-271-4496 (after-hours 603-271-5300)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control has information and latest updates.
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