image description
The COVID-19 Testing Center in North Adams is now open for free community and asymptomatic testing by appointment.

BHS COVID-19 Test Centers Added to Stop the Spread Program

Print Story | Email Story
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems' three COVID-19 testing centers are now open as part of the state's Stop the Spread Program for free community testing. 
 
Access to COVID-19 testing, either through the Stop the Spread program or for symptomatic testing, is by appointment only. Individuals MUST call the BHS COVID-19 Hotline, 855-BMC-LINK, or 855-262-5465, which is available daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
 
Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Monday the addition of three Berkshire County sites to the program.  The commonwealth will be supporting free COVID-19 testing in 25 communities — up from eight when the state announced its Stop the Spread testing initiative in July.
 
Stop the Spread is a cost-free surveillance testing for individuals who are asymptomatic and want to be tested for COVID-19. 
 
The announcement comes at a time when the state is well into its "second surge" of COVID-19 cases and was paired with an announcement that, effective Friday, hospitals across the commonwealth will be cutting back on elective, in-patient procedures.
 
Stop the Spread is aimed to provide expanded testing in communities where positive test rates are above the state average and testing volume has fallen off. Berkshire County has seen a dramatic increase in cases since the beginning of November, though still below the state average that has continued to climb.
 
BHS set up the first testing center outside Berkshire Medical Center and added two more testing centers — one in Great Barrington and one in North Adams — over the summer. They have largely been used for screening patients. 
 
The centers will continue to operate as the primary community testing sites for Berkshire Health Systems and have expanded hours to accommodate an estimated additional 1,000 tests per week countywide.
 
Testing will also continue to be conducted at the three centers for those who symptomatic or had close contact with someone who has tested COVID-19 positive, the cost of which will be covered by the individual’s insurer.
 
Stop the Spread provides for free and expanded community testing for anyone who qualifies under the state program. A similar program was operated in the spring for anyone who had attended the large protests that occurred after the killing of George Floyd in police custody. 
 
Two of the three BHS Testing Centers are located in an indoor setting, with the third moving indoors on Dec. 17. The centers are located in:
 
Pittsfield: 505 East St., St Luke's Square, adjacent to BHS Urgent Care; open daily from 8:30 to 4.
North Adams: 98 Church St., next to the North Adams Library; open daily from 8:30 to 4.
Great Barrington: Drive-thru tent at 10 Maple Ave. until Thursday, Dec. 17; open daily from 8 to noon
Great Barrington: Opens Dec. 17 at 475 Main St., next to the Police Department; open daily from 8 to noon.
 
All centers will be closed on Christmas and New Year's Day.
 

Tags: BHS,   COVID-19,   testing,   


More Coronavirus Updates

Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 news:


If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

MCLA Theatre Program Presents 'The Method Gun'

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' (MCLA) Theatre program announced its second show of the 2024-2025 season, "The Method Gun." 
 
 
This work by Kirk Lynn and the Rude Mechs, re-imagined under the direction of Professor Laura Standley, will take place Dec. 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
 
According to a press release:
 
"The Method Gun" takes audiences into the world of actor training, examining the intense and mysterious techniques of mid-century acting guru Stella Burden and her fiercely committed company of actors. Through a mix of archival material and imaginative storytelling, the play revisits the group's final, tumultuous months of rehearsal for an ambitious nine-year staging of "A Streetcar Named Desire" — performed without its central characters.
 
Equal parts absurd, poignant, and hilarious, "The Method Gun" invites audiences to consider the nature of artistic dedication. As the company grapples with the challenges of their radical process, the play raises larger questions: What drives us to create? How far will we go for art? What does it mean to seek truth onstage?
 
This re-devised production showcases the collaboration of MCLA Theatre students, guided by Professor Laura Standley's direction. 
 
Tickets for all performances are available through MCLA's community-serving cultural events program, MOSAIC. For tickets and more information, visit  https://www.mcla.edu/themethodgun.
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories