Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, for the most part, seemed to see a quieter couple of weeks as a whole when it came to reports of positive COVID-19 cases.
On New Year’s Eve, the state Department of Public Health reported that 22 of the Franklin County’s 26 municipalities are currently in the “gray” or lowest-risk category, with towns reporting anywhere from zero to eight cases since Dec. 17. Six towns report zero cases, while nine report fewer than five cases.
Six towns report between five and eight cases — Colrain, Conway, Erving, Northfield, Sunderland and Whately.
Two communities — Deerfield and Greenfield — moved into the “yellow” or medium-risk category, with 16 and 67 cases, respectively, being reported since Dec. 17.
Montague remains in the “red” highest-risk category, with 36 positive cases reported during that time, and Athol in Worcester County remains in the “red” as well, with 89 cases having been reported over the past two weeks.
The Department of Public Health decides which category to place a city or town in based on the number of positive cases compared to the size of its population.
In its dashboard that shows Department of Public Health data on the countywide level, the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts indicated there were 214 new cases in Franklin County over a two-week period, down from 329 in the previous period. However, there was also a decline in the number of tests completed, at 8,292, down from 9,348 in the previous two-week period.
Testing continues throughout the county, including at Baystate Franklin Medical Center and Valley Medical Group, both in Greenfield, and the Community Health Center of Franklin County, which conducts testing in Greenfield on Tuesdays and in Orange on Fridays. Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner anticipates a Stop the Spread testing site will open at Greenfield Community College early this month, but the state hasn’t made an official announcement yet.
“We’re so happy to say that the more permanent site will be in Greenfield,” she said in December. “Our legislators worked hard to make Franklin County a priority, and the new site will be indoors. It’s a great opportunity for us.”
Former Valley Medical Group President Joel Feinman — he retired Dec. 31 — said in an email to patients that while the vaccine is safe and effective, it doesn’t stop the spread and resulting hospitalizations and deaths caused by COVID-19. So, he said people should get the vaccine when they are eligible, but should also continue to take precautions like regular hand-washing, wearing a mask, social distancing, canceling travel plans, avoiding large gatherings and staying outdoors to visit when possible.
He said frontline staffers at Valley Medical Group, like other medical facilities, will receive the vaccine first.
Nursing and assisted living facilities throughout Franklin County and in Athol received the first dose of the vaccine this week, and will receive the second in February.
Baystate Health reported there were 124 people hospitalized with COVID-19 within its hospital system as of New Year’s Day. Nine of those people were in critical care at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. (Baystate does not break down the number from each of its hospitals who are transferred to its critical care unit.)
Additionally, there were 10 people hospitalized at Baystate Franklin as the new year began, compared to 14 the week before.
Based on COVID-19 dashboards on the various care facility websites, as Jan. 1 arrived, Quabbin Valley Healthcare in Athol reported 15 COVID-19-related deaths, up seven from the beginning of the week. The facility reported it still had 14 positive COVID-19 cases in residents, and one staff member was still reporting he or she was positive.
At Charlene Manor Extended Care in Greenfield, there were three positive cases among staff members and three among residents, and the Farren Care Center in Montague was still reporting between one and 10 positive cases, but not specifying whether they were residents, staff or a combination.
Poet’s Seat Health Care Center and Buckley HealthCare Center, both in Greenfield, welcomed the New Year still reporting zero cases at both facilities.