Pittsfield COVID-19 Cases Wane But Still Not 'Out of The Woods'

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — COVID-19 cases are declining in the city but it remains in the "red zone."

"While we're going down on the numbers, we're still not where we want to be,” Director of Public Health Andy Cambi said to the Board of Health on Wednesday.

A week ago, the percent positivity rate was 11.5, down from 14.7 in mid-May. The average case rate was 73.1 per 100,000 people, which is significantly less than the rate of 133.3 in mid-May.

Pittsfield entered the red incidence rate for transmission in April 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.

Berkshire Medical Center currently has six patients who tested positive while there were more than 20 early last month.

There are an estimated 137 actively contagious people this week, down from 376 in mid-May.

Cambi reported that many residents came to the Health Department early last month for free testing kits. With summer vacation soon approaching, the city is providing test kits to its camps and ordering more from the state.

They have also been provided to Pittsfield schools.

Because the at-home tests aren't in the city’s database, Biobot sewage testing was identified as an important tool for having accurate case counts.

Last Tuesday, the testing showed a 7-day average virus concentration of 762.4 copies per liter, down from 1 million in mid-May.



Cambi advised that residents take precautions where they see fit.

"I guess the point is if you're watching this tonight, stay vigilant, we’re not out of the woods,” Chair Bobbie Orsi said to residents who may be watching the meeting on Pittsfield Community Television (PCTV.)

Cambi also reported that the Pittsfield Health Department received Dowtown Pittsfield Inc.’s Community Award for its initial response to the pandemic.

On May 26, the Health Department and Berkshire Health Systems were given the award on Barrington Stage Company's Boyd-Quinson Stage. Cambi accepted the award for his department and Dr. James Lederer accepted it for BHS.


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Companion Corner: Fox at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and energetic dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for his new family.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Fox is a 3-year-old Pomeranian who has been at the shelter for about a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Fox. 

"He's a bundle of joy. He would love a family who's home with him a lot, because he's just, he's very social and wants to be with his people a lot. And he would be fun to bring out and about, bring a lot of places, because he's very happy to go anywhere," she said.

When Fox enters the room he is immediately a puffball of energy that goes around and around the room.

He came to the shelter after his former owner could not take care of him anymore. 

"The owner was just not able to care for him anymore. Had he came in with another dog, Wolf, and she already did find her forever home just last week," said Olivieri. "The two of them were left with a friend of the original owner, and the owner did not come back to pick them up, and the friend had too many animals in the house, and too much going on, and she just couldn't continue to look after them, so they did end up coming to us."

Fox can go home with cats and children but is not recommended to go home with other dogs as he gets too excited.

"He would love a home where people are home quite a bit to give him all the attention that he so desires. He loves kids. He absolutely adores children. So he would like a home with kids to play with. He could live with cats. We are saying that he should not live with other dogs. The only reason is that he gets very humpy, and he does not leave the other dogs alone," she said.

With his energy it is recommended he goes to a home that can keep him active whether walks or hikes and even fetch in the yard.

Fox does need to learn more about walking on a leash and has a tendency to mark in the house but he was recently neutered. Olivieri said belly bands will be sent home with whoever adopts him to help prevent marking and managing it.

"He would like an active home. He really does like to go for walks daily. He likes to run around in the yard. He does need a little work on leash walking. He sometimes gets a little tangled still under your feet, and he's learning how to walk on a leash," she said. "So, someone who's got some patience and some time to work on some training with him."

"He also is not fully potty trained, so he does know to go potty outside. However, he will still mark, urinate in the house sometimes, and he might poop here and there in the house."

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