Pittsfield in Low 'Yellow Zone' for COVID-19 Transmission

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is inching closer to entering the green incident rate for COVID-19 transmission after spending months in the "red zone."

Pittsfield has a 2.2 percent 14-day average positivity rate and an average of 14.5 cases per 100,000 people. This puts the city on the low end of the yellow incidence category for its case rate.

The next step down is the green incidence rate, which warrants an average of less than 10 cases per 100,000 people and no more than 10 total cases. The city was last in the "green zone" last summer.

There were 14 new cases on Sunday and there are currently 53 estimated actively contagious cases in the city, which is double last Thursday's number.

As of Monday, there were two people hospitalized in Berkshire Medical Center with COVID-19.

Vaccination numbers have stayed the same with 87 percent of residents having at least one dose and 76 percent being fully vaccinated. To date there have been about 10,300 cases in Pittsfield.

The 14-day average for tests on Sunday was around 313. Stop The Spread testing sites will be discontinued as of April 1, as the state is scaling back on the program.

This includes Pittsfield's site at 505 East St. However, Berkshire Medical Center will still be offering testing but it will no longer be covered by the state, Director of Public Health Andy Cambi clarified during a COVID-19 update to the City Council earlier this month.

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.