May 13, 2022: The president ordered flags at half staff this weekend to mark a tragic milestone: one million American deaths from COVID-19. In comparison, an estimated 675,000 Americans died from the Spanish flu.
And the number of cases are still climbing more than two years into the pandemic. More than 1,000 cases were reported in Berkshire County in the past week, up from 686 the week before. The positive numbers haven't been this high since January. The state saw its numbers jump by 10,000, the largest spike since the beginning of the year.
The Berkshires reported 1,071 new cases for a total of 26,169 and the state 29,596 for a total of 1,663,904. There were two deaths in the county for a toll of 378 and 71 in the state, for a total of 19,252.
Hospitalizations have also risen, albeit at a very slow rate. There 729 patients statewide but only 223, or 31 percent, were in the hospital primarily for COVID-19 and 237, or 33 percent, were not fully vaccinated.
BMC reported 16 patients; based on the state percentage, about five were there for the virus.
Pittsfield has the highest numbers again with 11,681 cases, up 488 from last week, and has more than 350 active cases.
For the two weeks ending May 7, North Adams reported 128 new cases for a total of 2,783; Williamstown 115 (1,571) new cases and Great Barrington 70 (1,370). Williams College had 61 new positive cases in the last week.
May 5, 2022: Despite one of the highest rates of vaccination in the country, the latest variant of the novel coronavirus is spreading quickly through the population. The number of cases in the Pittsfield schools have officials considering switching back to virtual learning or re-imposing masking.
The county recorded 686 new cases in the last week, up from 481 the before, for a total of 25,098 to date; the state's number was 19,501, up more than 3,000 from the week before for a total of 1,634,308.
The state's seven-day average positive rate is now 6.17 percent and the county's 14-day average is 6.44 percent.
Pittsfield is red zone with 11,193 total cases, up 316 from last week, and recorded on Thursday its first death since the end of January.
Williamstown had the next highest number of cases for the two weeks ending April 30 at 120 (1,496), North Adams reported 92 (2,705), with Lee third at 51 (1,094).
The county now has 376 deaths to date and nine patients at BMC. There are 547 positive patients statewide, up about a 100 from last week, but the percentages of those hospitalized primarily for the virus and who are not vaccinated remains about the same 37 and 35 percent, respectively.
The data still shows that the number of infections in vaccinated individuals is less than 10 percent. This week, state Sen. Adam Hinds, who has been campaigning for lieutenant governor, tested positive. He said he has mild symptoms and is isolating. The senator is vaccinated and boosted.
Nationally, the number of deaths is nearing 1,000,000 (some outlets were reporting this number was crossed earlier this week). The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard has 996,865 deaths as of Thursday, and 81,675,629 cases total. The United States is also climbing in the 28-day average for new cases. It had been out of the top 10 for more than a month but is now at No. 5, below Germany, South Korea, France and Italy.
April 28, 2022: The number of positive cases keep climbing but deaths and hospitalizations continue to lag as compared to the spikes that occurred last year.
Nearly 14.5 million doses of vaccine have been administered and 5.4 million of the state's 6.9 million residents have been fully inoculated. More than 260,000 have received a second booster.
With nearly 80 percent of population vaccinated and more half boosted, it's little surprise that the novel coronavirus isn't affecting much of the population. The seven-day average positive rate is now 5.04 percent and is probably much higher since at-home rapid tests aren't being counted.
There's five positive patients at BMC and 431 statewide, up 100 from last week but only a third are being primarily treated for COVID-19. There are 431 patients, 166 (39 percent) who are not fully vaccinated and 134 who are being treated for the virus. There are 31 patients in intensive care and 10 intubated. Two years ago, there were more than 1,000 patients in ICUs across the state; a year ago, 461.
Deaths from COVID-19 among vaccinated individuals is 0.04 percent and hospitalizations are at 0.15 percent. Fewer than 10 percent of the 5.4 million vaccinated individuals have been reported as positive.
The Berkshires reported 481 cases, up from 366 the week before, with 93 reported on Thursday. Pittsfield had the highest number of cases in the two weeks ending April 23 with 252 (total now 10,877) and Williamstown had 139 (1,454). Again, Williamstown's numbers appear to be driven by Williams College, which reported 63 new cases in the past week. North Adams had 72 (2,649) and all others 40 or fewer.
The state reported 16,266 cases this past week for a total to date of 1,614,807. The national numbers are now 81,239,310 total cases and 993,047 deaths.
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 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m: 1-855-BMC-LINK or 1-855-262-5465. Berkshire Health Systems also has page with upated information here.
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Senator Hinds Tests Positive for COVID-19 The senator is reporting mild symptoms and is isolating according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines. According to a statement released Thursday afternoon, he is vaccinated and boosted.
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Mount Greylock Committee Defends Handling of Pandemic Several members of the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee last week defended the district's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic against criticism from one of their colleagues.
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BHS Offering Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics These pediatric clinics will provide COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and will be held the first Saturday of each month, beginning March 5 at the BHS Vaccine Center, 505 East Street...
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State to Lift School Mask Mandate Baker said, in place, guidance will be issued to school districts for using masks in specific scenarios.
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Pittsfield's Holiday COVID Surge Subsiding The average case rate per 100,000 people is 168.7 after peaking at an all-time high of 283.1 on Jan. 16. The positivity rate is 13.6 percent, down from 18.1 during the peak, and there are about 272...
CHP Health Van in Cheshire Those who want to receive a flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 booster, or COVID-19 test should register for an appointment. Do so by calling 413-528-0457. Walk-ins will be accommodated but...
Adams Board of Health Continues to Mull Mask Mandate As COVID-19 cases rise throughout the county following the holidays, the Board of Health continues to consider the possibility of a mask mandate and other potential restrictions.
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School Mask Requirement Extended to Feb. 28 DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley on Monday alerted school districts that that masking would continue to at least Feb. 28 and possibly beyond that, pending changes in pandemic guidelines.
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On Sunday, the percent positivity rate was 16.6 percent and there were about 132 cases per 100,000 people. The positivity rate was 12.4 percent on the previous Sunday and there were 106 cases per 100,000 people.
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Today, the college is once again bustling with students, faculty and staff, learning, living and working on campus. Throughout the Berkshires, communities are starting to emerge and look to the future again. click for more
Several members of the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee last week defended the district's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic against criticism from one of their colleagues. click for more
The board, which never took the step of mandating face masks in town, authorized the health inspector to inform businesses that the board is no longer recommending that otherwise healthy individuals wear face coverings.
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The decision to rescind the masking advisory is in line with current guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the low levels of community spread of COVID-19 within the Berkshires.
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On Friday, the positivity rate dipped to 4.8 percent. To be in the yellow zone, a community must have ten or fewer average cases per 100,000 people or have a five percent or less positivity rate.
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The Berkshire Museum has suspended its mask and vaccine requirements for visitors. Starting Monday, guests will not be required to wear masks nor show proof of vaccination. click for more
Curtis emphasized the importance of honoring the choice that individuals make around face coverings. He outlined three levels of infractions that can be imposed on a student for not respecting a person's choice to mask or not to mask with the third report being a bullying infraction.
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The district's School Committee voted 6-1 Thursday night to end masking requirements in the classroom. Nearly 60 people attended the meeting virtually to provide feedback to the committee and hear the decision.
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Between Feb. 19 and Feb. 25, Adams recorded seven new COVID-19 cases, and Berkshire County is now considered moderate risk for transmission rather than high risk. Board of Health Chair David Rhoads said it is crucial to respect those who choose to or need to continue wearing masks.
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As of Sunday, the percent positivity rate was 8.6 percent, up from 7.7 on Feb. 24, and the average case rate is 48.4 cases per 100,000 people, up from 45.8 on February 24.
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These pediatric clinics will provide COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 and will be held the first Saturday of each month, beginning March 5 at the BHS Vaccine Center, 505 East Street in Pittsfield, from 8 am to noon. click for more
Town Hall is once again open to the public after about two months of closure because of the winter COVID-19 surge. The change is due to a decrease in Dalton's case counts. click for more
With COVID-19 metrics continuing to improve, the Board of Health on Wednesday voted to move the city's masking directive to a masking advisory. click for more
Although it never went the route of mandating steps like wearing indoor face coverings when a state mandate was lifted, the local board has continued to advise masks and made signage to that effect available to local businesses.
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On Wednesday, Curtis told the School Committee that he will look to them for consideration and if nothing is brought forward, he will make a final decision.
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These payments represent the first round of funds to be distributed as part of the $460 million program, which was enacted in December. These payments, worth $250 million, will be mailed to 500,000 people by the end of March.
click for more
The program, a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' COVID-19 vaccination program will provide free N-95 masks to U.S. citizens to help continue to combat the spread of COVID-19. click for more
The average case rate per 100,000 people is 168.7 after peaking at an all-time high of 283.1 on Jan. 16. The positivity rate is 13.6 percent, down from 18.1 during the peak, and there are about 272 estimated actively contagious cases.
click for more
Those who want to receive a flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 booster, or COVID-19 test should register for an appointment. Do so by calling 413-528-0457. Walk-ins will be accommodated but appointments will take precedence. click for more
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.
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The at-home testing program is designed to replace the commonwealth's "test and stay" program, which was created to allow in-school testing of asymptomatic close contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
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As COVID-19 cases rise throughout the county following the holidays, the Board of Health continues to consider the possibility of a mask mandate and other potential restrictions.
click for more
During a COVID-19 update at Tuesday's City Council meeting, Director of Public Health Andy Cambi reported that there are 25 people hospitalized at Berkshire Medical Center for the virus and that a large number of these patients are unvaccinated.
click for more
The new tool, called My Vax Records, allows people who received their vaccination in Massachusetts to access their own vaccination history and generate a COVID-19 digital vaccine card, which would contain similar vaccination information to a paper CDC card.
click for more
The announcement comes in tandem with an advisory from the state Department of Public Health affirming the accuracy of the rapid-result antigen tests and "clarity" surrounding the need for PCR tests at overwhelmed testing centers around the state.
click for more
Cases of COVID-19 among staff at Colegrove Park Elementary School is causing the closure of one grade for the week and remote learning for another.
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DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley on Monday alerted school districts that that masking would continue to at least Feb. 28 and possibly beyond that, pending changes in pandemic guidelines.
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And the school's positive test rate, while still at one of its highest points during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains well below the positivity rate for Berkshire County, the Board of Health learned on Monday morning.
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The number of people being tested daily for COVID-19 by Berkshire Health Systems has almost doubled as the omicron variant surges through the state. click for more
Taconic High School and Reid Middle School will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 6, and Friday, Jan. 7, because the schools do not have enough staff to open. Both schools are anticipated to reopen on Monday but families will be notified by Sunday. click for more
In most cases, the policy limits visitation to one care partner for non-COVID-19 inpatient units and allows limited window-separated visits for COVID-19 inpatients. click for more
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