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Why, we asked three local experts, did Berkshire County find its way this week nearly to the top of a national list for highest rates of COVID-19 by population? It’s
A look back at the people, quotes and stories that resonated with us in 2021.
Here's our countdown of the Top 5 most read stories published this year.
For a while, I wondered why it was called the ânovelâ coronavirus. There wasnât much novelistic about it: no plot, no hero, no ending. But COVID-19 was indeed novel in the sense that weâd never seen anything like it. We had no context, no playbook, no clue. One year ago Wednesday, the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. Also one year ago, the Berkshires registered its first community transmission COVID-19 case, Rick Bua, a retiree in Clarksburg. Since then, more than 540,000 Americans have died, including over 260 in the Berks...
Quote Rick Buaâs diagnosis a year ago was momentous for local public health officials, a sign that the virus was spreading and their lives were about to be turned upside down. His vaccination Thursday marks another turning point: For the first time, public health experts can see a path back to normal life. âOn the West Coast, they do have community level transmission,â Dr. Monica Bharel, the stateâs public health commissioner, said March 4. âAt this point, we donât have evidence of that here in Massachusetts.â Three days later, Buaâs test came back posi...