It is just another added layer of providing additional mitigation for the safety of our students and our staff as we think about returning to the hybrid model for in person learning, Superintendent Barbara Malkas told the School Committee on Tuesday. Pool testing means mixing samples from a group, such as a classroom, and testing for COVID-19 antigens. A negative test means the entire group is clear; a positive test means that each person in the pool would have to follow up with rapid result testing. Within 15 minutes, we would know who the positive individuals are because they would need to isolate and we would need to do our contact tracing, Malkas said. And we d have to make sure that anybody else in that particular pool was asymptomatic and therefore clear to resume learning and instruction.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. Mayor Linda Tyer on Monday outlined a historically difficult year in the city of Pittsfield, as with the rest of the world, in her annual state of the city address. It s hard to believe that next month marks one year of dealing with this global public health crisis, she said. In looking back at the past year, it is easy to become fixated on all of the things that we have done to mitigate COVID-19. Our attention and energy were focused, and rightly so, on doing all that we could to keep our community safe. Circumstances are constantly evolving. It requires us to monitor, assess, and adjust. We are still very much in the midst of protecting ourselves and each other while at the same time, finding ways to sustain our economy, keep people employed, and reopen our schools.
How to Access Berkshire COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative has announced the launch of a new website containing comprehensive information on how to access the Berkshire area COVID-19 vaccination clinics. As reported in a press release, the new site, which you can access by going here, was developed to provide a consolidated resource with information about the COVID-19 vaccines, to provide resources on the state’s Vaccination Phases and vaccine availability, and to aid the public in making appointments at the three large mass vaccination clinic sites in the Berkshires.
The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative has established vaccination sites in Pittsfield at the Berkshire Community College Field House, in Great Barrington at the WEB Du Bois Middle School and in North Adams at St. Elizabeth of Hungary’s Parish Center. Vaccine clinics are now scheduled for early February to begin vaccinations for the first part of Phase 2, which includes anyone aged 75 an
An official helping to oversee COVID-19 vaccinations says centers in Berkshire County will try to preserve appointments for Tuesday’s start of the next phase but this winter storm could change that.
The Berkshire Eagle reports that Lara Kittross, director of the Berkshire County Boards of Health Association, said no action had been taken as of last night, Sunday evening to cancel appointments.
Kittross said that if the storm affects the ability of clinics to begin the vaccinations as scheduled on Tuesday, people with appointments will be alerted through email messages. “If Tuesday needs to be canceled, the hotline and website will be updated and we will send an email to the email address on file for each registrant.
Ware looks to future as Baystate Health seeks to close Mary Lane
Updated Jan 31, 2021;
Posted Jan 31, 2021 Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center is located at 85 South Street in Ware. (Don Treeger | The Republican)
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WARE Baystate Health, while explaining this week the rationale behind its planned shutdown of the Mary Lane Outpatient Center, said that of the 28 patients per day seeking care at Mary Lane’s emergency room, over 85 percent present with common, minor, non-urgent conditions which could be treated in a primary care setting.
But to Tracy Opalinski of Ware, that means four of the 28 patients each day are experiencing a life-threatening situation and need to get to an emergency room right away.