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

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Following the holiday weekend, the city has dipped into the yellow incidence rate for COVID-19 transmission.

On Tuesday, the percent positivity rate was 4.3, down from 5.3 last week. 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.

The average case rate was 29.1 on Tuesday, a metric that has stayed rather steady since mid-June.

The city is still close to the red zone, which is categorized 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.

There are 54 estimated actively contagious cases in the city with 14 new cases on Tuesday. There have been more than 12,000 cases total. 

In mid-May, Pittsfield saw a surge that skyrocketed the percent positivity rate to almost 15 and the average case rate to over 130 cases per 100,000 people. There were more than 370 estimated actively contagious cases. 

There are currently three patients hospitalized at Berkshire Medical Center who have the virus. During the time of the mid-May surge, there were more than 20 hospitalizations.

Though the metrics have decreased, the city's Biobot sewage testing is showing an increase.  This testing is said to predict trends with the virus.


On Sunday, the seven-day average for virus concentration was 732.8 thousand copies per liter.  A couple of weeks ago, the virus concentration was 366.1 thousand copies per liter.

Following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's approval of vaccination for children under the age of 5, Berkshire Health Systems began to schedule vaccine clinics for infants and toddlers.

On July 9, the BHS testing and vaccine center will provide vaccinations for children under the age of 5 from 8:30 to noon. Each month beginning Saturday, Aug. 6, BHS will have pediatric vaccine clinics in Pittsfield on the first Saturday of the month, serving children under age 5 from 8:30 to noon and children 5 to 11 from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Berkshire County's seven-day average on Tuesday was 33 and there were 105 new cases. In mid-May, the seven-day average was more than 130.


 


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Pittsfield Firefighters Knock Down Morningside Blaze

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Fire Department knocked down a two-alarm blaze in the Morningside neighborhood in less than an hour on Friday. 

Just before 3 p.m., the department received a report of a fire at 25 Pine St. Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Garner said he arrived at the scene first and saw heavy fire showing from the rear of the more than 100-year-old home. 

"We just went to work, pretty much," he explained. 

"Because of the heavy volume of fire and the potential for a high number of occupants, I called a double alarm, which called all available Pittsfield firefighters directly to the scene. And I would say the fire was knocked down and under control within an hour." 

Eight occupants were evacuating the home when firefighters arrived, and there were no civilian or firefighter injuries. People, including the occupants, stood on the sidewalk and watched the scene unfold. 

When iBerkshires arrived, firefighters were on the ladder, extinguishing the top level of the home from the side and rear.  

There were five fire engines and one ladder truck. Hinsdale also came to assist, and Lenox and Dalton were called for standby. 

Garner believes the building is salvageable and repairable, but recognized that the family won't be able to stay there tonight. An extended family appears to live in the home. 

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined; the Fire Investigation Division was on site. The Red Cross will provide assistance to the residents of the home. 

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