Pittsfield Sees COVID Spike in Sewage Testing, Another Death

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Sewage testing is showing a post-holiday COVID-19 spike.

On Tuesday, the city's virus concentration in sewage rose to 3 million copies per liter, compared to 1.3 million copies per liter on Christmas. 

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

There was also another death that occurred in late December, bringing the city's total to 92.

Hospitalizations have remained low, as there were fewer than 10 COVID patients at Berkshire Medical Center earlier in the week.


Pittsfield saw 32.5 cases per 100,000 people on Tuesday and the positivity rate was 12.1 percent.  There are about 76 estimated actively contagious cases, a metric that has gone down from over 100 at the beginning of the year.

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

Before Thanksgiving, there was a low of around 470,000 copies per liter, a percent positivity rate of 5.4 percent, and 13.6 cases per 100,000.

For Berkshire County, there is a 7-day average of 33 cases. The state's 7-day average is nearly 1,600.


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Historic Wahconah Park Grandstand Almost Leveled

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If you want to catch a last glimpse of the remaining Wahconah Park grandstand, you need to hurry.  

The historic grandstand is currently being demolished, with only a couple of the major structures remaining. Pittsfield is also working on what comes next for the park, and how baseball will return next year. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said if people want to see the last of the structure, they should head down by the end of this week because "by Thursday or Friday it probably will entirely be down."

"It's moving quickly now that they're into the active demo phase," he told the Parks Commission on Tuesday. 

"…Certainly, I think by the end of September we'll see cleanup and, if you will, the big hole where the stadium sat. That all will be filled to grade." 

The more than 75-year-old structure was deemed unsafe in 2022, and planners determined that starting from square one is the best option.

On Sept. 3, the Conservation Commission issued 36 orders of conditions for the reconstruction of the ballpark. 

Conservation Agent Shannon Poulin pointed out that the application has gone through many revisions; reconstruction cannot begin until a certificate of compliance for the demolition is issued. 

The project crew will have an on-site meeting on Friday morning and consider two avenues of revitalization: The funding, last estimated around $15 million, and a financial strategy coming together through the mayor so that Pittsfield can move into an active build next year, or a longer process where the field is utilized before a new grandstand is built. 

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