Mayor Tyer Says City Ready to Assess Reopening Protocols
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Linda Tyer is cautioning residents that the anticipated "reopening" report expected Monday from the state will likely not mean everything will immediately open.
"Not surprisingly there is much anticipation around Monday's announcement however it is important to keep in mind that this date will serve only as a guidepost for what is to come," Tyer said during her weekly COVID-19 update on Pittsfield Community Television.
Gov. Charlie Baker appointed an advisory board to develop a four-phase plan for gradually reopening the state — dependent on public health data. Much of the commercial activity statewide has been closed or greatly reduced because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
While the report is expected to be released Monday, however, the safety parameters for any reopening were laid out earlier this week.
"As we go forward, we're going to be balancing the trade-offs that are pretty obvious that are associated with public health and people's ability to work," the governor said on Friday. "And I think what these folks have done, what we'll report on Monday, is a very thoughtful and substantive approach to dealing with this ... some people are gonna say it's too slow and some people are gonna say it's too fast and I understand and I respect that.
"But this is our idea of the best shot we have a continuing to make progress and not giving the virus a chance to get back out of the barn."
Tyer said each stage of the governor's four-stage reopening plan pertains to different organizations and business. She said with each stage there will be new operations and safety standards, and protocols.
"My team and I will undergo an immediate review to assess how Pittsfield can begin to implement our reopening," she said. "Adherence to the state's plan will be vital for monitoring shifts in public health and guiding our response to emerging needs as more businesses and organizations reopen."
At the moment, all public buildings will remain closed until June 1.
The mayor said it has been 70 days since the city's COVID-19 team had been implemented and that the good work its done responding to COVID-19 countywide has not gone unnoticed.
Last week representatives from the state's Emergency Management Agency and the governor's office visited communities throughout the county to see how they were coping.
"The team was especially impressed by the seamless and effective distribution of [personal protective equipment] to 32 municipalities throughout the county and they noted that Pittsfield and the Berkshires serve as a model of excellent collaboration for the state," she said. "I am thrilled to know that this feedback will be shared with the governor and his team."
Tyer said there is still work to be done and that just that day, four more cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the city bringing the number in total to 151.
She said an expansion of testing criteria will now allow the city to test people who have been in contact with an infected person. She said this contact testing could increase recorded case numbers but will provide important information for the reopening process.
This week was National Police Week, which Pittsfield was unfortunately unable to publicly acknowledge because of the pandemic. The annual memorial recognizes officers who worked or lived in the city, including William Craig, the first Secret Service officer to die in the line of duty. Craig was killed when President Theodore Roosevelt's carriage was struck by a trolley in Pittsfield in 1902.
"We would normally hold a memorial service to acknowledge the Pittsfield fallen officers," Tyer said. "That of course did not happen this year but that does not diminish the great respect and appreciation that we have for those we have made that ultimate sacrifice."
Police Chief Michael Wynn read the names and gave an address via YouTube.
Tyer said it is also National EMS week and extended this appreciation to the city's emergency medical services personnel.
"They are working tirelessly on the front lines of this pandemic. We truly appreciate all that you do throughout the year to support the health and well being of our friends, family, and neighbors," she said.
Tyer signed off by wishing residents a nice weekend. With nice weather expected she invited residents to responsibly enjoy the outdoors.
"I hope that you and your loved ones will enjoy the outdoors safely," she said. "We have an abundance of wide open natural resources ready to be explored plus they make social distancing really easy."
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