STOP THE SPREAD TESTING SITES EXTENDED TESTING THROUGH DEC. 31^ST

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.

The location of testing at Holyoke Community College has changed.

 

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.

 

 

– 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

The top 5 cities/towns in western Massachusetts with COVID-19 in the last two weeks: (as of November 27th)

1. Springfield – 1,387 cases in the last 14 days
2. Chicopee – 333 cases in the last 14 days
3. Holyoke – 311 cases in the last 14 days
4. Pittsfield – 231 cases in the last 14 days
5. West Springfield – 216 cases in the last 14 days

See the full story here: https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/coronavirus-local-impact/top-5-massachusetts-town-by-town-coronavirus-numbers-3/

Dr. Anthony Fauci warns of COVID ‘surge within surge’ after Thanksgiving holiday travel; says ‘it’s not too late for all of us to do something’

By Benjamin Kail | bkail@masslive.com

Public health officials are bracing for a new round of COVID-19 case spikes as many Americans traveled and held large family gatherings over the Thanksgiving holiday in defiance of mitigation guidance from the government, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned that as the nation heads into December, officials expect “we might see a surge superimposed on the surge we are already in.”

“I don’t want to frighten people except to say it’s not too late at all for us to do something about this,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Fauci urged Americans to take precautions, including social distancing and wearing masks during and after travel back home. Read the full story here: https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/11/dr-anthony-fauci-warns-of-covid-surge-within-surge-after-thanksgiving-holiday-travel-says-its-not-too-late-for-all-of-us-to-do-something.html

81 Massachusetts cities and towns now considered ‘high risk’ for COVID spread, according to new data

By Tanner Stening | tstening@masslive.com

Eighty-one Massachusetts cities and towns are now classified as “high risk” for coronavirus spread based on new metrics health officials are using to determine risk levels in communities.

Those communities include: Attleboro, Barnstable, Bellingham, Berkley, Blackstone, Boxford, Brockton, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Chicopee, Clinton, Dartmouth, Dighton, Douglas, Dracut, East Longmeadow, Edgartown, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Freetown, Gardner, Georgetown, Hampden, Haverhill, Holyoke, Hopedale, Lancaster, Lawrence, Leicester, Lenox, Leominster, Littleton, Lowell, Ludlow, Lunenburg, Lynn, Malden, Marion, Mendon, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Milford, Millbury, Monson, New Bedford, Norfolk, Oak Bluffs, Paxton, Peabody, Rehoboth, Revere, Rutland, Salisbury, Saugus, Seekonk, Shirley, Somerset, Southbridge, Southwick, Springfield, Sterling, Sutton, Swansea, Taunton, Templeton, Tisbury, Tyngsborough, Upton, Uxbridge, Wenham, West Boylston, West Springfield, Westminster, Westport, Whitman, Winchendon and Woburn.

Last week, the number of cities and towns designated high risk was 63 after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced changes to the way they classify communities on the statewide map.

The Department of Public Health said it was changing the way it classifies communities at risk for COVID transmission on the statewide map. Risk designations — which are colored, grey, green, yellow and red based on infection levels — are now determined using several new metrics for three population categories: communities with a population of less than 10,000; between 10,000 and 50,000; and greater than 50,000.

Officials say the new categories help to make the community-specific data more nuanced, and better account for increases in cases in smaller communities and for communities where testing is more robust. Read the full report here: https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/11/81-massachusetts-cities-and-towns-now-considered-high-risk-for-covid-spread-according-to-new-data.html

 

As of today there are 2028 positive COVID cases in Holyoke ~1.5% increase

 

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, there were 43,856 active cases in MA with 1,166 new cases.  There were 25 new deaths today with an average age of 81 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 3.93%.