Pittsfield COVID Rates Slightly Higher Than Thanksgiving

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
10:05AM / Friday, December 23, 2022Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With Hanukkah underway and Christmas in a few days, the city's COVID-19 metrics are slightly higher than they were for Thanksgiving.

The city's Biobot sewage data showed a 1.1 million copies per liter virus concentration over the weekend, compared to the 1 million copies per liter concentration on Thanksgiving day.

Though the number has gone down from 1.9 million copies per liter at the beginning of the month.

Director of Public Health Andy Cambi has indicated that the sewage concentration is the truest indicator of the virus' presence in the community because the other metrics don't include at-home tests.

The average case rate on Tuesday was 24.2 cases per 100,00 people and the positivity rate was 8.1 percent. On Thanksgiving, there were 13.5 cases per 100,000 and the positivity rate was 5.7 percent.

There are around 65 estimated actively contagious cases, nearly double that of Thanksgiving, and 11 hospitalizations at Berkshire Medical center.

On Sunday, there were 20 new cases.

The city remains in the "red zone" for transmission, having more than 10 cases per 100,000 and a positivity rate above 5 percent. It has essentially remained in this category since last year with some reprieve in the spring that put the city in the lesser "yellow zone."

The city has 65 active cases and 15,124 total cases, with 77 percent of residents fully vaccinated. There have been 91 total reported deaths but the city has not had a death related to COVID-19 since mid-October. Berkshire Health Systems has 13 patients who have tested positive. Statewide, the percentage of positive patients being treated primarily for the novel coronavirus has hovered around 30 percent.

Tags: COVID-19,

More Coronavirus Updates
Keep up to date on the latest COVID-19 news:

iBerkshires.com

iBerkshires.com Text Ads

rk MILES Blding Materials

Are You Ready to Update Your Home? Start With rk MILES. 4 Locations (800)670-7433

www.rkmiles.com

Greylock Youth SummerFest

Come join in on the wealth building fun! August 3-8. Click for event details. Insured by NCUA.

www.greylock.org

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Scenic Vistas, Open Spaces Central to Berkshire's Rural Character

By John TownesSpecial to iBerkshires
05:19AM / Thursday, August 27, 2026

This is the first of a two-part series looking at types of land trusts, their missions and their place within the Berkshires.

Land is an essential resource for life. We all spend the vast majority of our lives directly connected to the land or in structures built on it. Land is also a central core of the global ecosystem that makes the earth sustainable for all lifeforms.

The landscape has special significance in the Berkshires. It is a central element in the region's scenic rural character and quality of life, as well an economic resource that is a basis of tourism.

Access to land, and control of its use, is largely based on ownership. This system enables people to own homes, build businesses, establish communities, and pursue other goals and activities.

However, the private use and control of land can also be a source of contention and conflict — from debates about development at local planning boards to international wars over territory.

Traditionally, local and regional planning policies and regulations such as zoning have been used to balance the concepts of private ownership with shared public goals and needs. In addition government ownership provides land for schools, roads, infrastructure, parks and nature preserves, and other public purposes.

In recent decades another form of land ownership and control has gained increasing visibility and prominence. This concept is often known as land trusts.

View Full Story