MONTAGUE — After COVID-19’s delta variant caused the number of positive cases to spike, the Selectboard and Gill-Montague Regional School District School Committee each discussed the status of the virus in Montague and its schools this week.

The Selectboard on Monday revealed eight positive COVID-19 cases (two in vaccinated individuals, six unvaccinated) from Sept. 5 to Sept. 11 and 21 positive cases from Aug. 29 to Sept. 11.

The board’s discussion of the topic came on the same day Greenfield joined Conway, Buckland, Leyden, Charlemont, Gill, Rowe, Shelburne and others in Franklin County in issuing an indoor mask mandate for public spaces and private businesses. For now, the Selectboard decided to continue to monitor case trends before making a decision on imposing a mask mandate in Montague.

Town Administrator Steve Ellis said that this week’s number of COVID-19 cases is remarkably low.

“What we didn’t see this week was a continued escalation,” Ellis said. “We actually saw it fall back to the weekly number that we’ve been seeing since the middle of August.”

The Selectboard agreed with the Board of Health that imposing an indoor mask mandate is not necessary at this point.

“My personal opinion is that a recommendation (to wear masks) is fine,” Board of Health member Melanie Zamojski said.

Ellis said he’s been content with how the town has followed the state’s lead so far.

“The town has, throughout this process, really followed the broader guidance of the state,” Ellis said.

Still, all parties present at the meeting acknowledged a duty to stay vigilant.

“There’s an interest in making sure we don’t react too late to a crisis,” Ellis said.

“I would encourage folks to wear masks if they’re in large groups,” Selectboard Chair Richard Kuklewicz said.

Meanwhile, Gill-Montague Regional School District Superintendent Brian Beck announcing at a School Committee meeting on Tuesday that all fall school open houses will be remote. He subsequently acknowledged that the schools’ enforcement of mask wearing and proper air ventilation has made it so there has been no recorded COVID-19 transmissions in schools since the school year began.

“The decline in the week-to-week trend was almost surprising to me, given school started last week,” Ellis said at the Selectboard meeting.

Beck also announced that the school district finally received COVID-19 testing supplies after “significant delays caused by slow and inconsistent movement on testing support at DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).” However, he added that the state has yet to provide contracted coordinators to begin regular COVID-19 screenings and pool testing.

Currently, the school district has three COVID-19 vaccine clinics scheduled that will be available to the general public. Gill Elementary School will host one on Tuesday, Sept. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. Then on Thursday, Sept. 23, Turners Falls High School will host a clinic from 2 to 3:30 p.m., followed by Sheffield Elementary School from 4 to 6 p.m.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.