LENOX â A botched, delayed rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program by the federal government â possibly a temporary setback â and continued resistance by a significant minority of Americans send up warning flares for our hospitality-tourism-arts economy in 2021.
The three-month shutdown of the high-end Canyon Ranch Lenox resort announced this past week, with an undisclosed number of employee furloughs, is discouraging, yet not surprising. The stateâs travel order bars visitors (unless theyâre from Hawaii) from overnight stays unless they can produce a negative test result from the three days before their arrival. Lacking that, they must quarantine for 10 days.
What is startling is a note from Eagle reporter Francesca Paris this past week that about 40 percent of Berkshire Healthcare Systems employees at their nursing care facilities have expressed unwillingness to take the vaccine, at least for now.
With this daily feature, The Eagle runs down breaking local developments in the coronavirus crisis.
BY THE NUMBERS: One new COVID-19 death in Berkshire County brought the total to 132, with the confirmed case count up 54, to 2,787, the state Department of Public Health said.
The DPH said 58 new deaths were reported in Massachusetts over the period, pushing the statewide total to 11,958. Deaths including those listed as probably caused by COVID-19 are 12,218. Confirmed cases rose 3,659, to 346,423. According to data provided by Johns Hopkins University, at least 229,910 people in Massachusetts with COVID-19 have recovered.
NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES: 78,215 statewide.
POSITIVITY RATE RISING: The DPH report shows an upward trend in positivity rates of molecular COVID-19 tests in Massachusetts.
David Kolis had chills, a high fever and a deep cough as he drove himself to the hospital this month.
A week into the 63-year-oldâs fight with COVID-19, his doctor called to tell him there was something that might help. Monoclonal antibodies therapy, a treatment that President Donald Trump received during his illness, finally was available for widespread emergency use. And Kolis was eligible.
âI was very sick,â Kolis said. âAny help I couldâve got was well-appreciated.â
The therapy would try to give his immune system an assist by mimicking the natural antibodies that he would produce over the course of the illness.
COVIDACTNOW.ORG
BY THE NUMBERS: Berkshire County saw two new COVID-19 deaths Monday, raising the total to 131, with the confirmed case count up 56, to 2,733, the state Department of Public Health said.
The DPH said 48 new deaths were reported in Massachusetts on Monday, pushing the statewide total to 11,900. Deaths including those listed as probably caused by COVID-19 are 12,158. Confirmed cases rose 4,060, to 342,764. According to data provided by Johns Hopkins University, at least 229,910 people in Massachusetts with COVID-19 have recovered.
NUMBER OF ACTIVE CASES: 80,620 statewide; 959 in Pittsfield; 413 households in quarantine in Pittsfield.
WESTERN MASS. PICTURE: The case totals (and death counts) in neighboring counties as of Monday: Franklin, up eight, to 1,222 (up one, to 91); Hampshire, up 37, to 3,616 (188); Hampden, up 230, to 25,096 (up two, to 1,035).
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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.