NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The River Grove Dog Park and UNO Park have been closed by the Board of Health after a dog that had been at the park tested positive for parvovirus.
The virus does not affect humans but is highly contagious and deadly for canines and spread through feces. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, lethargy and weight loss. There is no treatment other than intensive veterinary support.
Preventive vaccination and boosters are recommended for dogs beginning at age 7 to 8 weeks.
The virus is very hardy and can live in soil contaminated by feces or organic matter for up to a year. It can only be killed by a diluted solution of household bleach.
The city issued a CodeRed about the park closure on Friday and signs have posted stating it will be closed for two weeks. UNO Community Center posted on its Facebook page that its park also will be closed for two weeks, until Friday, Oct. 16, and yellow tape has been strung around the park.
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State Education Board Approves Push for In-School Learning
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley explains the reasoning for getting students back in classrooms and off remote learning.
BOSTON — Schools across the state are being ordered to resume in-classroom instruction as soon as possible, beginning with elementary grades on April 5.
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 8-3 on Friday afternoon to accord DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley authority to change requirements for learning time that would not include remote learning.
Families would still have the ability to remain remote for the rest of this school year and some schools may be able to get waivers, but the state would have the ability to hold back Chapter 70 education funds for schools out of compliance.
The vote followed hours of testimony from medical professionals, educators and parents that veered from strongly encouraging the return to school as an important to students' health, well-being and educational needs to cautions that many schools did not have the ability to provide adequate spacing or COVID-19 precautions and calls for school employees to be vaccinated prior to any return.
The Christmas vacation will start on Thursday, Dec. 23, and end on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. This is the same schedule used this school year, which saw the December date switched for the traditional Good Friday holiday in April.
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The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 8-3 on Friday afternoon to accord DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley authority to change requirements for learning time that would not include remote learning.
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Mayor Thomas Bernard, just hours before the meeting, gave an update on the completed audit of the hydrant system and proposed a borrowing of $300,000 to have the current 55 or so nonfunctioning hydrants replaced.
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Baker said the advent of vaccinations and declining infection rate is not a reason for Bay Staters to "let down their guard" around the novel coronavirus. Nor, he said, is his administration's decision starting this week to lift some of the restrictions it put into effect in the fall.
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