PITTSFIELD — Berkshire County has a high community level of COVID-19, according to the newest weekly data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To determine the community level, the CDC uses a combination of the case rate per 100,000 people, the new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 hospitalizations and the percentage of beds in use by COVID-19 patients.
This week there are 238 new cases and 11 new hospitalizations per 100,000 residents and 4 percent of hospital beds in the county are in use by COVID-19 patients.
Berkshire County is the only county in Massachusetts with a high transmission level, but neighboring Rensselaer and Columbia counties in New York, as well as Bennington County in Vermont also have high transmission rates. Massachusetts counties Franklin and Hampshire have medium community levels, while Hampden has low community levels.
The CDC recommends that in this situation people wear a mask indoors while in public, get tested when symptoms arise and take additional precautions if at risk for severe illness.
Additionally, the CDC recommends staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines. A booster shot for the Omicron variant was rolled out earlier this month, and is being distributed at Berkshire Health System for those who have already had two boosters.
According to CDC data, 76.5 percent of the population in Berkshire County has had at least one vaccine dose, while 61 percent are fully vaccinated.
To learn more about when, where and how to get vaccinated head to: www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/covid/vaccination-information