Pittsfield Back in Red Zone for COVID-19

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A spike in COVID-19 cases has pushed the city back into the "red zone."

The city's positivity rate was at 5.9 on Sunday with an average case rate of 47.1 per 100,000. This is a stark contrast to the positivity rate of 2.1 in late March when there were only about 13 cases per 100,000 people.

Pittsfield entered the red incidence rate for transmission on Friday when the positivity rate rose to 5.3 percent. This risk category is defined by having equal to or more than 10 average cases per 100,000 and having a five percent or higher positivity rate in a 14-day period.

Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said on Monday that no immediate actions are being taken for the spike right now but he is sure that will be brought up in discussion at next week's Board of Health meeting.

The city will continue to monitor the data, he added. Cambi also confirmed that the spike is associated with a new variant. He did not confirm which variant, but the omicron BA.2 subvariant is now predominant in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, it is more contagious but does not seem to be as severe as omicron, which surged over the fall and holidays. 

There are about 148 estimated actively contagious cases in the city and there were 25 new cases on Sunday.

Last week, there were eight positive cases at Berkshire Medical Center and five on Monday. Statewide, only about 30 percent of patients who test positive are in the hospital primarily because of the virus.


Biobot sewage testing showed a virus concentration spike that peaked on April 19 with a seven-day average of 902,000 copies of the virus per liter and has since subsided to 306.3K. This testing is intended to predict virus trends in the city.

In early March, the positivity rate dipped into the yellow zone after the city spent months in the red.  To be in the yellow zone, a community must have 10 or fewer average cases per 100,000 people or have a 5 percent or less positivity rate.

Around that time, 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.

In February, 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.


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Dalton Ambulance Committee Evaluates Vehicle Options

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Fire District ambulance committee is evaluating different options and timelines to determine the most feasible way of replacing its ambulances. 
 
The station has two ambulances — a 2016 International and a 2019 Ford 50. In September, it was reported that the International had been out of service for the last month because of brake issues. 
 
The International is back and running; however, the new Ambulance Director Morgan McDonough decided to have it operate as a Basic Life Support ambulance to save money on narcotics and staffing, interim Fire Chief Chris Cachat said during last week's Board of Water Commissioners meeting. 
 
This has been going well, he said. 
 
Cachat said it can be swapped back to Advanced Life Support at a moment's notice. 
 
The Ford 50 is still operating as an Advanced Life Support vehicle. However, during the September meeting, it was reported that a replacement vehicle would be needed in the future because it was not designed to handle the additional load of ALS, leading to accelerated wear and tear. 
 
When the district took over the ambulance service from the association, it only offered Basic Life Support. 
 
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