Dear Students, Families, and Staff Members,
Each Thursday evening the Department of Public Health releases the city/town and Berkshire County data updates for the previous 14 day period. The most recent data has shown that we continue to be challenged with high rates for contagion for COVID-19.
The benchmarks that we use to determine if there is community spread that warrants moving to remote learning include:
- 3% positivity rate for the City of North Adams: Current rate is 4.36%.*
- 3% average positivity rate for 15 collective towns and cities that represent locations where staff or students who enter North Adams Public Schools reside: Current rate is 6.59%.*
Both the 4.36% positivity rate for the city and the 6.59% positivity rate for the 15 collective towns has triggered the continuation of remote learning through January 29, 2021. Without serious efforts to lower these rates, we may need to extend the time period for remote learning beyond that date.
It is my sincerest hope that all of our families, staff and community members do those things that will help us to get back to school in the coming weeks. We must stop the spread using the simple steps that helped us maintain low positivity rates: wear a mask at all times when in public, wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available, maintain physical distancing, and refrain from large gatherings. If you or your child develop symptoms of COVID-19, it is very important that you quarantine, get tested as soon as possible, and follow your health care provider’s recommendations for your recovery.
COVID- 19 Symptoms
If you or your child develops any symptoms associated with COVID-19, it is important that you quarantine and schedule a test to confirm your illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Bluish lips or face
Call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.
COVID-19 Testing
Rapid PCR testing is available in the office of North Berkshire Pediatrics: This test is for their patients who have any symptoms that could possibly be due to COVID. The test result is available in 15 minutes and the practice is available to see these patients 7 days a week. The rapid test is not sensitive enough for people without symptoms, so if patients who were exposed to a COVID positive individual but don’t have symptoms can either be seen and have a test performed to send to BMC or direct them to a testing site. Increased availability and faster turnaround times for results are available through BMC: the North Adams testing site is open 7 days a week from 8:30-4 by appointment (call 855-BMC-LINK) and the tests are now being sent to the Broad Institute which has a slightly greater than 24 hours turnaround time.
Thank you.
Dr. Barbara Malkas
*Current public health data for North Adams and surrounding communities.