The Kraft Family and the New England Patriots organization have selected Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) among a select group of hospitals across Massachusetts to provide two employees with a free trip to Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay, Fla. In a press release earlier this week, the New England Patriots explained that this trip has two goals: to recognize and thank a representative group of the countless healthcare superheroes in New England, and to celebrate and spread the important message of getting vaccinated. Hamilton and Heath, who have both been fully vaccinated, will join 74 other healthcare workers from New England for the full VIP Super Bowl experience, including a two-night stay at Patriot Place, transportation on the Patriots Plane to Tampa, plus tickets to pre-game concerts and events, as well as attendance at the game.
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Customers head into PortSmittâs Lakeway Restaurant on Pecks Road in Pittsfield in late October, shortly before its final day on Oct. 31. Contact tracers ultimately linked more than 60 coronavirus infections to PortSmittâs.
BEN GARVER â THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
Yuki Cohen, shown in her Methuselah Bar and Lounge, has been cited for a third time for COVID-19 health violations. She said she is being targeted by frivolous complaints.
EAGLE FILE PHOTO
Ann and Carlos Shacar wait to get into PortSmittâs Lakeway Restaurant on Pecks Road in Pittsfield in late October, days before its closing. Contact tracers have linked more than 60 coronavirus infections to Portsmittâs.
Oct. 31: 260 cases; 6 deaths
It is âclosing dayâ for PortSmittâs Lakeway Restaurant, the family-run eatery that has fallen victim to the economic pressures of the coronavirus pandemic. Transmission occurs at PortSmittâs on this day, as well as during the preceding few days.
Meanwhile, approximately 20 people arrive at a Pittsfield residence where, health leaders say, there was a Halloween party and masks were not worn consistently indoors. Transmission occurs.
Nov. 3: 269 cases; 6 deaths
The Brick House Pub in Housatonic elects to shut temporarily, after one of its servers learned that others who had attended the same Halloween party had tested positive. The server would go on to test positive, too.
An apparent discrepancy has emerged in the public reporting of coronavirus cases at two long-term care facilities in Lee. In a report dated Dec. 18, Next Step Healthcare â the facilitiesâ parent company â listed two cases at Lee Healthcare and one at The Landing at Laurel Lake.
The stateâs Dec. 18 daily report listed between one and four cases among Lee Healthcare residents but no cases among residents or staff for The Landing at Laurel Lake. Dec. 19 and Dec. 20 state reports said there were no cases among residents or staff at either facility. The stateâs website says the reports feature data from the previous day.
BY THE NUMBERS: Berkshire Countyâs death toll rose by one on Monday to 120. The confirmed COVID-19 case count climbed 37 to 2,482, the state Department of Public Health said.
The DPH said 41 new deaths were reported in Massachusetts, pushing the statewide total to 11,506. Deaths including those listed as probably caused by COVID-19 is 11,759. Confirmed cases rose 3,760 to 314,850. The stateâs surge in cases is made clear by this statistic: More than one-tenth of the total number of confirmed cases to date in Massachusetts were confirmed in just the last week.
According to data provided by Johns Hopkins University, 206,843 people in Massachusetts with COVID-19 have recovered.