STOP THE SPREAD TESTING HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 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
Baker to Lift All COVID Restrictions, Mask Order in Mass. on May 29
Gov. Charlie Baker cited the state’s nation-leading vaccination process in his decision to move up the state’s reopening timeline
By Mary Markos • Published May 17, 2021
All COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts, including the state’s mask mandate, will lift on May 29, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday.
“We said since Day 1 that we’ll get through this together, because the people in Massachusetts are strong, kind and willing to sacrifice to help their neighbor,” Baker said Monday. “Today — more than ever — we know that’s the truth.”
Baker’s decision to fully reopen the state about two months early came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday, which says fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors in most situations. All industries in Massachusetts were previously slated to reopen on Aug. 1.
With the latest update to Massachusetts’ reopening plan, all businesses will be able to reopen without restrictions and the face covering order will be replaced by the CDC’s new guidance over Memorial Day weekend.
“The message from us is, if you’re fully vaccinated, the data and the guidance from the CDC is pretty clear: you’re very unlikely to transmit it, you’re very unlikely to get COVID,” Baker said. “If you’re not vaccinated, you should get vaccinated.”
Face coverings, first advised by the state in April of last year, will still be mandatory for anyone taking public and private transportation including rideshares, taxis, ferries, the MBTA and the Commuter Rail as well as in transit stations. Masks will also be mandatory inside schools, child care programs, health care facilities, nursing homes and other settings that host vulnerable populations. Read the full story here: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/gov-baker-to-provide-update-on-mass-reopening-process/2382258/
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 14,146 estimated active cases in MA with 494 new cases. There were 5 new deaths. The average age of cases that were hospitalized is 55 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 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 1.00%.