With Halloween Around the Corner, Pittsfield COVID Cases Decrease

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With Halloween weekend a week away, COVID-19 cases are decreasing.

Last week, Director of Public Health Andy Cambi reported that the city was experiencing a "mini" COVID-19 surge.  Around this time, the community impact dashboard reported an over 12 percent positivity rate, over 41 daily cases per 100,000, and around 100 estimated actively contagious cases.

On Wednesday, the positivity rate was 10.4, there were 33.6 daily cases per 100,000 and 81 actively contagious cases.  

There were 12 hospitalizations reported at Berkshire Medical Center on this day compared to the 18 reported cases early last week.

Cambi said that the city’s Biobot sewage testing is the most accurate way to get a gauge of COVID impact on the community, as the other metrics don’t include at-home tests.

The virus concentration halfway through this week was 1.8 million copies per liter, while it was over two million copies per liter at the beginning of last week.


Last week, the public health director reported that the city is trying to get the Bivalent booster in-house and working with the state to offer it through small clinics.  This booster contains a component of the original virus strain and a component of the omicron variant to provide better protection against the virus.

The city has been in the red incidence rate, which is the highest, for a number of months.

Parties and festivals have fully returned from hibernation during the height of the pandemic, the historic Pittsfield Halloween parade being one of the biggest comebacks.

This will be the 76th Halloween parade in the city after its two-year absence.

 


Tags: COVID-19,   Halloween,   


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Dalton Capital Planning Committee Takes First Steps

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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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