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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Lanesborough Facing Over 6% Budget Increase

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town's proposed fiscal year 2026 budget is a 6.27 percent increase from this year.
 
On Monday, Town Administrator Gina Dario presented a $12,669,203 operating budget to the Select Board, noting that it is subject to minor changes before the annual town meeting on June 10.
 
Looking at the current local and national environment, she recognized "a lot of surprises," but didn't want that to reflect in the town's spending.
 
"We are dealing with a bit of the unknown, but within that, we really try to operate with as much fiscal responsibility and with as much fiscal diligence as we can," Dario explained.
 
"… We are very much trying to be accountable and make sure that we are planning for the future with the resources that we have so that we can be working and looking ahead for the benefit of the community, so that the residents know that what we are doing for the community is very responsible."
 
School district assessment fees and health insurance are major budget drivers.
 
The Mount Greylock Regional School District assessment increased by 6.82 percent, but McCann Technical School's assessment decreased by 25.07 percent. This represents a $535,212 net increase in education costs, compared to the $237,129 increase in FY25, and accounts for half of the 6.27 percent increase to the operating budget.
  
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