Many didnât have a freezer capable of keeping the vaccine that cold.
And that set off a scramble by some hospitals, including Berkshire Medical Center, to purchase the necessary ultracold freezer.
âThey are very difficult to find,â said spokesperson Michael Leary. âEspecially right now.â
Then, the head of Pittsfieldâs Berkshire Innovation Center happened to see a TV report about how a shortage of freezers could hinder vaccine distribution.
âAnd I turned to my wife and said, âWe have one of those!â â said Ben Sosne, the centerâs executive director. BIC had installed an ultracold freezer in its laboratory space just before opening in February, and the $15,000-machine was sitting unused because of the pandemic.
PITTSFIELD â The expected approval of a coronavirus vaccine is fueling hopes for life post-pandemic, but municipal and health leaders say that now is not the time to get lax with COVID-19 precautions.
âWe are all so relieved to know that thereâs a vaccine on the way, but we have to manage our expectations here ⦠there are a lot of variables attached to when we get the vaccines, which populations get it,â Mayor Linda Tyer said. âSo, yes, itâs outstanding news, we are all so relieved, and we still have to remain vigilant in our activities and the choices that we make to protect ourselves from transmission.â
With COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths surging in the county in recent days, word of the imminent delivery of vaccines was a welcome dose of good news Wednesday.
BHS COVID-19 Test Centers Added to Stop the Spread Program iberkshires.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iberkshires.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
State awards $1.6M in grants for technical skills programs in Western Massachusetts
Updated Dec 10, 2020;
SPRINGFIELD Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday announced $11.7 million in vocational skills grants for educational institutions statewide, including approximately $1.6 million for programs in Western Massachusetts.
The grants include $300,000 for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department for inmate training and $250,000 for the Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield.
The grants are intended to help update equipment and expand student enrollment in programs that provide career education, according to an announcement from the governor’s office.
“At a critical time in our Commonwealth, these Skills Capital Grants will increase flexibility and support for schools and educational institutions to launch new programs and help more students develop important technical skills and prepare them for high-demand industries,” Baker said. “As our economy moves f