Editor’s note: The Greenfield Recorder plans to provide regular updates on the risk level of COVID-19 transmission as wastewater testing results are received.
With health officials citing high wastewater results, cluster infections and hospitalizations, the four communities involved in the Contact Tracing Collaborative continue to see a high risk for COVID-19.
According to Greenfield Health Director Jennifer Hoffman, as of this week, officials have documented more than five cluster events (infections of three or more people at one site) and an average of five hospitalizations per day. Greenfield, in particular, has seen a total of 66 reported cases of COVID-19 in October, according to the Health Department’s website.
The Contact Tracing Collaborative — consisting of Greenfield, Montague, Sunderland and Deerfield — created a traffic light alert system, outlining thresholds for low, moderate and high risk of COVID-19 transmission in an effort to illustrate case levels and provide residents with guidance for masking. Given these communities are now in the red zone with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, masking is recommended.
In combination with wastewater testing — people with an active COVID-19 infection excrete the virus in their stool, and samples from wastewater treatment plants can be analyzed to estimate community virus levels — the four municipalities factor in hospitalization numbers, positivity rates and case numbers to determine risk levels. Health officials also continue to talk with nursing homes, businesses and schools to track cluster infections.
The following three zones, defined by the Contact Tracing Collaborative, are used to gauge risk levels of COVID-19 transmission in the four communities. For the risk level in the area to change, at least two measures need to apply.
Masking recommended.
■Cluster infections (of three or more people at one site): five or more.
■Percent positive tests out of total tests performed: greater than 10%.
■Hospitalizations: five or more.
■Increase in case trend.
■Increases in wastewater trend.
Masking encouraged.
■One to four cluster infections.
■Stable positive testing.
■Fewer than five hospitalizations.
■Stable case incidence.
Masking optional.
■No cluster infections.
■Decrease in positive tests.
■Decrease in hospitalizations.
■Decrease in case incidence.
■Decreased virus copies in wastewater.