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While Pittsfield COVID-19 cases continue to rise exponentially, hospitalizations remain low

COVID-19 data from Pittsfield, Massachusetts showing a rise in daily case rates per 100,000 growing from the mid-70s to around 245 from late December 2021 into mid-January 2022.
Public Health Department
/
City of Pittsfield

The spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has blown away all previous case records in Pittsfield, Massachusetts – but hospitalization rates remain low.

Last January, the daily case rate per 100,000 over a 14-day period hit a high of around 82 in the Berkshire County community of around 44,000. Now it has skyrocketed to around 245, with a positive test rate of almost 19%. Despite that, hospitalizations have not risen proportionally, with only around 25 patients admitted with the disease heading into the middle of the month.

A chart showing Pittsfield, Massachusetts COVID-19 hospitalizations remaining in the 20s from December 2021 to January 2022.
Public Health Department
/
City of Pittsfield

At the first city council meeting of the year Tuesday, Public Health Director Andy Cambi told the body that Pittsfield is now 73% fully vaccinated.

“We ran two clinics within the past month," he said. "And we've are going to continue doing them because they have received such great community response. The next one will be held on January 22nd and February 5th- Again, to get your booster shot, to get your first dose, and for pediatric clinics as well.”

85% of Pittsfielders eligible for vaccines have received at least one shot.

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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