Pittsfield Now in Yellow COVID-19 Incidence Rate

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is has reached the yellow incidence rate for COVID-19 transmission after spending months in the red zone.

On Friday, the positivity rate dipped to 4.7 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.

Pittsfield isn't there yet with the cases per 100,000, as there were 26.2 cases per 100,000 on that day.

About 52 people are estimated to be actively contagious and on Friday there were seven new cases.  This is a stark contrast from mid-January when the positivity rate was 18.6 percent and the daily cases per 100,000 were 281.5.

There is only one patient in Berkshire Medical Center for the virus and the 14-day average for vaccinated to unvaccinated hospitalizations shows that about 75 percent are unvaccinated.

Some 87 percent of residents have received at least one dose and 76 percent are fully vaccinated.

On Friday, Superintendent Joseph Curtis announced that mask wearing is now optional in Pittsfield Public Schools. Earlier in the month, he stated the mask mandate would be lifted in the first or second week of March.

Last month, the Board of Health voted to move the city's masking directive implemented in November to a masking advisory.

Cases began surging in November and the city entered the red zone late that month.  Early that month, the Board of Health voted to implement a mask directive stating that masks should be worn in all publicly accessible indoor spaces in the city unless seated at a table eating food or drink.

When the mask directive was moved to an advisory, Director of Public Health Andy Cambi stated that Pittsfield would likely reach the 5 percent positivity rate threshold within a few weeks.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.