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
Holyoke is again designated as a high-risk red zone
Number of Mass. Communities in High-Risk COVID Red Zone Jumps Again as Map Returns
There are now 77 Massachusetts communities in red, an increase from 55 last week, but still far fewer than in the peak in January
By Asher Klein
The number of Massachusetts communities at the highest risk of coronavirus transmission has continued to rise, this week adding another 22 cities and towns.
The town-by-town coronavirus data released Thursday showed 77 communities in the high-risk red zone, up from 55 last week. The metric has been rising for three weeks, but remains far lower than its peak in mid-January, 229 cities and towns in the red zone.
The town-by-town coronavirus risk data classifies communities’ risk level on a scale from red, the highest, to grey, and is one of many metrics tracked by the state that had been showing the latest COVID surge subsiding, though others are also on the rise. Read the full story here: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/coronavirus/number-of-mass-communities-in-high-risk-covid-red-zone-jumps-again-as-map-returns/2350168/
Vaccine Equity Initiative
We are pleased to announce that beginning on Wednesday, April 7th, 2021 and weekly thereafter, the Holyoke Senior Center will be hosting one-day vaccine clinics as part of the Vaccine Equity Initiative. The first clinic will be 400 doses of the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. We expect the subsequent clinics to be the same number of doses or larger. No second dose appointment will be necessary with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
As part of this effort, Behavioral Health Network will also be offering on-site clinics at programs and agencies throughout Holyoke that provide resources to Holyoke’s vulnerable and at-risk populations.
This clinic is operated via a partnership between the Holyoke Board of Health, the Holyoke Senior Center, Action Ambulance and the HCC Nursing Program.
These doses have been provided by the State to reach vulnerable populations in 20 communities across Massachusetts that have been the hardest hit by COVID.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-vaccine-equity-initiative
These doses are available only to Holyoke residents that are currently eligible for the vaccine. That criteria is set by the State and not the Board of Health. By the date of the clinic, that will include all of the groups through Phase 2, Step 5 in the chart below. By our third clinic on 4/21/21, it would include all Holyoke residents.
If you are an eligible Holyoke resident and would like to book a vaccine appointment, you can call the Senior Center at 413-322-5625. High risk individuals will be prioritized, but all eligible residents are able to call and schedule an appointment. There are currently spaces available for the 4/7/21 clinic.
As of Thursday, April 8th, there were a total of 5209 confirmed cases in Holyoke.
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 35,149 estimated active cases in MA with 1,938 new cases. There were 8 new deaths. The average age of cases that were hospitalized is 61 years old. The age range trends show the age range groups with the highest number of current positive cases. Current trends for the 3 highest cases by age are 20-29 year olds olds, followed by 30-39 year olds, followed by 50-59 year olds. All together the state has a 7-day average positivity rate of 2.29%.