Pittsfield COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Continue to Rise

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
03:46PM / Tuesday, May 17, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Last week, iBerkshires reported that COVID-19 cases continued to rise after a surge that pushed the city into the "red zone" and hospitalizations had also increased. This week, the report is the same.

On Sunday, the percent positivity rate was 16.6 percent and there were about 132 cases per 100,000 people. The positivity rate was 12.4 percent on the previous Sunday and there were 106 cases per 100,000 people.

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.

On Monday, there were 20 people hospitalized with the virus at Berkshire Medical Center compared to 17 last week. There were three COVID-19 patients at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington on Monday as well.

In the last week, there were 30 hospitalizations for patients who tested positive in a PCR test and 52 in the last 14 days. Some 37 patients also have pending tests, according to Berkshire Health System's COVID dashboard.

Pittsfield has about 345 estimated actively contagious cases with 36 new cases just on Sunday.

There are currently about 33 new active cases in the Pittsfield Public Schools. This metric has gone down significantly from the previous week when there were more than 100 reported cases.

Superintendent Joseph Curtis said in a Friday districtwide update that the district continues to do a close analysis of each case in each classroom at each school along with the overall picture of the district. The district is so far not implementing any change in practice but that could change if circumstances do, Curtis also reported.

Early this month Curtis disclosed a possible return of masking in the schools if the cases continued to rise. In his update to students and families dated May 6, he reported 102 cases in the district, about 30 cases higher than his previous communication to families.

On Monday, Berkshire County had 367 new cases and a 7-day average of 136.

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Dalton Capital Planning Committee Takes First Steps

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
10:59AM / Friday, February 06, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The Capital Planning Committee held its first meeting last week; the first step in a yearlong process of developing a five-year capital plan.

The meeting kicked off with Thomas Irwin, a Finance Committee member, elected chairman, and Dennis Croughwell, a Planning Board member, elected vice chair.

The committee was established during the annual town meeting in May 2025. Irwin was instrumental in developing the Capital Planning Committee, which was modeled on the town of Lee's committee.

The goal is to produce a practical, prioritized five-year capital improvement plan that helps the Select Board and Finance Committee make informed budget and capital decisions.

According to Town Manager Eric Anderson, the committee is responsible for collecting and reviewing all capital plans that impact the town.

This includes plans from departments and agencies outside its direct authority, such as the water department, fire department, schools, and relevant Pittsfield agencies — especially those concerning sewer and wastewater treatment.

The committee's goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of capital needs and their budgetary impact across all sectors, and then prioritize these needs based on urgency.

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