As vaccine distribution gets underway, local boards of health are continuing to monitor the changing situation with respect to COVID-19 caseloads in their respective communities.
As of Thursday — with 82 reported positive tests in the 14 days prior — Greenfield remains in the “yellow” or higher-risk category, according to the state Department of Public Health’s data.
The color-coded categories, which are determined by the state, are based on population.
This week, the DPH reported three Franklin County and North Quabbin towns are in the “red” or highest-risk category: Sunderland, Orange and Athol, with 29 positive tests, 54 positive tests, and 115 positive tests, respectively, reported in the 14 days prior to Thursday.
While Orange and Athol remained in the “red” category from last week’s report, the latest report moves Sunderland from the “yellow” category it was in, to the “red” category.
Sunderland Board of Health Chair Caitlyn Rock said that is a result of the data considered in the characterization — Dec. 27 to Jan. 9 compared to Dec. 20 to Jan. 2 — which includes cases that resulted from holiday gatherings. She called the “red” category concerning, but not necessarily a surprise.
“Those are the cases from Christmas, the Christmas surge,” said Rock, noting that many of those cases are no longer active — in other words, out of quarantine or isolation.
She said of the active cases in town, about one-quarter are tied to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and there are a few households with two or more cases.
“We have a good handle on it,” she said, noting that the Community Tracing Collaborative and UMass’ tracing are on top of the university’s caseload.
“What’s important to us … is to know where the cases are coming from and how the cases are being handled,” she said. “We’re checking MAVEN (Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiologic Network) multiple times a day to make sure we know what’s going on.”
This week, Deerfield moved from its status last week as a “green” or lower-risk category to the “yellow” or higher risk category, with 25 positive cases in the 14 days prior to Thursday. Montague, meanwhile, moved down to the “yellow” category from its status last week as a “red” community, with 26 positive tests in the last 14 days.
Royalston in Worcester County, also is in the “yellow” category, reported 19 positive tests in the last 14 days.
The remaining communities in Franklin County, as well as Phillipston and Petersham in Worcester County, were in the “gray” or lowest-risk category as of Thursday, meaning fewer than five cases were reported in the 14 days prior.
Baystate Health reports it is currently caring for eight confirmed COVID-19 patients at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield. It has a total of 150 hospitalized patients throughout its entire system, with 13 in its critical care unit in Springfield.