STOP THE SPREAD TESTING HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 30th
WALK UP COVID-19 Testing Site in Holyoke.
The walk-up COVID testing site is at the War Memorial, located at 310 Appleton Street. The lot at 323 Appleton Street may still be used as parking for the test site. Hours of operation will not change at this time.
Testing will take place at the front doors to the War Memorial.
Members of the public seeking a test will not be allowed to enter the building during testing hours.
The line should start at the front door and wrap around on the Maple Street side of the building, if necessary.
Testing hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2pm to 6pm. Testing will run until 6/30/21.
DRIVE UP COVID-19 Testing Site in Holyoke
A Stop the Spread test has opened at Holyoke Community College. Testing will run until 6/30/21.
The testing take place at HCC in Lot H.
The test site will still be drive-through.
– 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 is launching a vaccine preregistration system Friday
Here’s how it works.
All Massachusetts residents will be able to register ahead of time for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, under a new preregistration system Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration is launching this Friday, overhauling the way Bay Staters have secured time slots at the state’s mass vaccination sites.
“The process will hopefully ease some of the anxiety, and the burden folks have been experiencing trying to secure an appointment because of the constrained supply of vaccine,” Marylou Sudders, the state’s health and human services secretary, said during a press conference Wednesday.
Officials say the new system will initially only allow individuals to pre-register for an appointment at the state’s seven mass vaccination sites when it goes live mid-morning Friday. It will be available through the state’s mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine website, as well as through the 2-1-1 vaccine hotline for older residents. Read the full story here: https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2021/03/10/massachusetts-preregister-covid-vaccine
Mass. Changes Travel Rules for People Who Have Been Completely Vaccinated
Vaccinated people with symptoms of COVID-19 must continue to follow the testing and quarantine rules that are already in place
By Asher Klein
Massachusetts health officials are no longer requiring people who have been fully vaccinated to quarantine or test negative for COVID-19 when traveling to the Bay State at least two weeks after their final shot.
They will have to be able to show they’ve been vaccinated, and when, if asked about it, according to the new guidance.
However, vaccinated people with symptoms of COVID-19 must continue to follow the testing and quarantine rules that are already in place. Read the full story here: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mass-changes-travel-rules-for-people-who-have-been-completely-vaccinated/2324942/
As of yesterday there were a total of 4766 confirmed cases in Holyoke <1% increase from Monday.
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/
As of yesterday there were 25,901 estimated active cases in MA with 1,589 new cases. There were 42 new deaths. The average age of cases that were hospitalized is 64 years old. The age range trends have changed and now the age range with the highest number of current positive cases is 0-19 year olds, followed by 20-29 year olds, followed by 30-39 year olds. All together the state has a 7-day average positivity rate of 1.72%.