STOP THE SPREAD TESTING SITES EXTENDED TESTING THROUGH DEC. 31ST
WALK UP COVID-19 Testing Site in Holyoke
A walk-up COVID testing site opened in Holyoke at 323 Appleton St. Testing hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2pm to 6pm. Testing will run until 12/31/20.
DRIVE UP COVID-19 Testing Site in Holyoke
A Stop the Spread test has opened at Holyoke Community College. Testing will run until 12/31/20.
As of Friday 11/6/2020, the location of testing at Holyoke Community College has changed. The change was to prepare for the cold weather months.
A map with the new traffic pattern and testing site location is posted on the Holyoke Board of Health website.
The testing will remain at HCC, but now take place at Lot H.
The test site will still be drive-through.
Hours and days of operation will not change.
Holyoke Community College will have parking attendants onsite to manage the flow of traffic.
– The site will operate Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 7am – 11am. Tuesday and Thursday 2pm -7pm.
– Turnaround time for results is typically 4 days or fewer.
– This test site is first come, first serve. There are no appointments. Please do not call the Health Department or Holyoke Community College to make an appointment.
– The test site at Holyoke Community College is a drive-through only test site. Please do not get out of your vehicle. Signage and Campus Police will be readily apparent to help you access the site easily.
– To help speed up the process, please have your information ready. They will ask for your full name, address (you must be a Massachusetts resident), phone number and email address.
– There is no cost for the testing. You do not need a referral, nor do you need to be symptomatic.
– The test style will be the less invasive swab in the lower nostril. The older style that required further insertion of the swab will not be used.
– If you have previously tested positive, DPH and CDC guidelines do not recommend getting retested at this time.
– If you are acutely symptomatic, particularly if you have a high fever, consider scheduling a test with your Primary Care Physician.
– Information on all of the Stop the Spread test sites across the State can be found at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread
Massachusetts saw a 51% increase in new COVID cases last week as the state reports 2,674 new cases, 23 deaths Friday
State health officials confirmed 2,674 new coronavirus cases on Friday in what continues to be an acceleration of the respiratory infection in communities across Massachusetts.
That’s based on 81,305 new molecular tests reported on Friday, according to the Department of Public Health. There have been a total of 177,627 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.
Officials also announced 23 new COVID-related deaths, for a total now of 10,038 confirmed deaths since the start of the health crisis. Read the full story here: https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/11/massachusetts-saw-a-51-increase-in-new-covid-cases-last-week-as-the-state-reports-2674-new-cases-23-deaths-friday.html
Charlie Baker, other governors to hold ‘emergency summit’ to discuss more possible COVID-19 restrictions
Gov. Charlie Baker and five other governors of northeastern states will meet this weekend to discuss possibly coordinating new restrictions to help curb COVID-19 spread as as a second wave of the coronavirus grips the region.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the “emergency summit” on Friday.
The summit will also include the governors of Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.
Cuomo said the group will discuss possibly coordinating more regulations on bars, restaurants, bars, and gyms, as well as limits on gatherings and interstate travel.
“The reality is the virus is mobile and we’re in the holiday season and people will travel more,” the New York governor said. “These are all elements that conspire to increase the spread. We believe we’re going to have to be taking additional steps, and to the degree we can share information and align action with other regional states, we’ll do that.”
It’s unclear what the steps may be, but Cuomo said he does not expect any major changes announced over the weekend.
Many states have issued their own guidelines in recent days. In Massachusetts, Baker has ordered restaurants to end on-site dining by 9:30 p.m. nightly and implemented a stay-at-home advisory. Read the full story here: https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/11/charlie-baker-other-governors-to-hold-emergency-summit-to-discuss-more-possible-covid-19-restrictions.html
Massachusetts COVID trends ‘show no signs of changing’; Baker administration preparing field hospitals again
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the state is preparing to stand up field hospitals again as coronavirus infections continue climbing across the state and around the country.
“The trends are obviously going in the wrong direction and show no signs of changing,” Baker said during a press conference on Tuesday at the Massachusetts State House.
He said Massachusetts hospitals are prepared to convert 400 acute care beds to ICU beds as hospitalizations and case counts continue rising.
“We’re in the process of working with (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency) and with hospital officials to identify suitable locations to locate and staff facilities,” Baker said. “Where and when these facilities are stood up will depend on available space and where the needs are.”
Cases have shot up more than 300% since Labor Day, and hospitalizations have jumped more than 200%, Baker said, adding that overall hospital occupancy is up to 67%, and ICU up to 50%.
Officials will have more details about plans for field hospitals later this week. Read the full story here: https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/11/massachusetts-covid-trends-show-no-signs-of-changing-baker-administration-preparing-field-hospitals-again.html
As of today there are1672 positive COVID cases in Holyoke ~5% increase from 2 days ago.
Weekly Public Health Report (Updated Wednesday) Contains town-by-town numbers, long-term care facility information, and more: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting#covid-19-weekly-public-health-report-
Massachusetts comprehensive daily “dashboard” illustrating the spread of this virus across regions and demographics: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting#covid-19-daily-dashboard-
Testing has a turnaround time of 1-5 days and many cases are being clinically diagnosed (no testing or reporting involved). All are advised to behave as though they are carriers of Covid-19.
The curve we need to flatten: County numbers graphed over time can be found here: https://www.wmasscovid.com/
The Massachusetts Daily Dashboard is now updated to provide a more granular look into the daily positivity rates. As of today are were 27,431 active cases in MA with 2,674 new cases. There are 23 new deaths today with an average age of 80 years old. The age range with the highest number of current positive cases is 20-29 year olds, followed by 0-19 year olds, followed by 30-39 year olds. All together the state has a 7-day average positivity rate of 3.12%.