PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayor Linda Tyer has announced a new relief aid program for Pittsfield restaurants in the wake of the city suspending indoor dining.
The Restaurant Rapid Response Grant program will offer up to $5,000 to eligible restaurants to help with rent, mortgage, utilities, payroll, supplies, and inventory.
Tyer made the announcement during her COVID-19 update Friday on Pittsfield Community Television telling the community that a second surge of the novel coronavirus had hit the city.
"I would love more than to stand before you and share good news but I just can't do that this week," she said. "The number of new COVID-19 cases in our city is beyond alarming, it's frightening.
"We are in a serious crisis."
In the past week, the city had received a daily report of more than 100 positive COVID-19 cases, an accumulation of test results over several days. On Friday, eight new cases were reported.
"What were seeing was completely avoidable," Tyer said. "These cases have been directly attributed to large get-togethers in restaurants and large indoor parties in private homes attended by individuals from multiple households."
These get-togethers caused an explosion of cases in the city, the mayor said. In one instance, a single COVID-19 case generated at least 20 other positives.
The state of Massachusetts encourages using three reporting periods to determine when communities should step back, but Pittsfield is not waiting and stepped back immediately.
"Decisive, aggression action is what is needed right not to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our city," Tyer said.
The city's COVID-19 Task force identified several actions that are effective immediately, one of which included a suspension of indoor dining until further notice.
Tyer said many cases have been linked to indoor dining and large gatherings, so it is necessary to take a pause on these actions.
Though indoor dining is suspended, local eateries are allowed to provide takeout, delivery, and to serve outdoors, which has proved to be very successful during winter spring and summer months, Tyer said.
While these shutdowns are necessary, Tyer said she recognizes the tremendous economic impact it will have on Pittsfield restaurants, and thus the emergency grants.
This grant program is in addition to Pittsfield's COVID-19 Economic Relief and Recovery Small Business Grant program, which has already aided 63 businesses, including 17 restaurants.
Tyer noted that there are still funds available for this program, and the city is accepting more applications. More information on this program can be provided by the city's Office of Community Development at cityofpittsfield.org.
Additionally, a second Board of Health order will be issued to step back the city of Pittsfield to step 1 of phase 3 of the reopening process.
This means that until further notice, the following types of businesses must reduce indoor capacity to 40 percent; outdoor gatherings at event venues and in public settings are limited to 50 people; and
outdoor theater performance venues may operate at 25 percent capacity with no more than 50 people.
Indoor performances are suspended for the time being.
For more sector specific guidelines visit www.mass.gov/reopening
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
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