REGION — It appears the surge in COVID-19, driven by the Omicron variant, has finally started to burn itself out. Heywood Healthcare president and CEO Win Brown reported in his weekly briefing on Saturday, Feb. 12, that positivity rates are dropping.
“We have tested about 147,000 specimens throughout the pandemic,” said Brown. “Our cumulative rate of positivity is 9.2 (percent), more than double the state at 4.13. It’s holding steady there. Our seven-day positive percentage is 14.45 percent, versus the state at 4.53. So, we’re still three times the state average in our positivity.
“Our inpatient volume is down to 12 (patients), which is fantastic.”
The area’s positivity rate the previous week had stood at 25.58 percent, so cases are definitely on the way down.
In addition, Brown reported that, as of the day of his report, the 14-day incidence rate stood at 87 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people in Heywood’s service area. That’s down from 146 per 100,000 the week before.
According to the state’s Weekly COVID-19 Municipality Vaccination Report of Thursday, Feb. 10, the number of eligible Athol/Phillipston residents who have received at least one shot remains at 71 percent. Rates for other area towns include: New Salem, 76 percent; Orange, 69 percent; Gardner, 79 percent; Petersham, 76 percent; Royalston, 70 percent, and Templeton, 65 percent. Once again, Winchendon trails at just 62 percent.
In an interview on Wednesday, Feb. 16, Athol Public Health Agent Deb Vondal told the Athol Daily News that, as of Feb. 3, 64 percent of eligible residents in the 01331 area code had been fully vaccinated. She did not have the figure of how many have received a booster.
Vondal said there were, at the time of her interview, 73 active cases of COVID-19 in Athol. That number represents a huge drop since Jan. 26 — just three weeks earlier — when there were 396 active cases reported. There have been five COVID-19 related deaths in Athol since the start of the pandemic, according to Vondal.
As for what the future holds regarding the ongoing response to COVID-19, Vondal said, “At this point, the whole Commonwealth is in a transition from an emergency response to COVID-19, the pandemic, to how do we deal with this in everyday life? This latest surge is over.
“There’s no crystal ball to report what might happen. You know, is there another variant that might pop up? It’s basically down to personal responsibility. We’ve all been living with this for two years.”
Vondal said the state Department of Public Health had just updated its COVID-19 advisory, changing its recommendation regarding the wearing of masks. The advisory, released on Tuesday, Feb. 15, says “In light of recent improvements in COVID-19 indicators, DPH now advises that a fully vaccinated person should wear a mask or face covering when indoors (and not in your own home) if you have a weakened immune system, if you are at increased risk for severe disease because of your age or an underlying medical condition, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system and is at increased risk for severe disease or is unvaccinated.”
The statement continued: “Individuals who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear a face covering or mask when indoors with others to help prevent spreading COVID-19.”
Vondal said Athol’s Board of Health will meet next Tuesday and will likely consider what changes, if any, to make in the mask advisory it issued in mid-December.
“But, again, it’s down to personal responsibility,” she stressed. “Understanding your own risks and what risks you’re willing to take. Knowing your own self, your own medical conditions, your medical situation.
“Vaccination is still the most effective protection against COVID; serious illness, hospitalization, and death.”
Vondal said many public health officials are concerned about the mask mandate for schools being lifted. That concern, she said, stems from the fact that the mandate ends on the 28th of this month, a day after the end of February vacation. Officials say students may be exposed at family events and other gatherings during the week off from classes and end up exposing other students when they return to the classroom.
There is concern, also, over the fact that vaccination rates for young people tend to be fairly low.
Vondal said there would be a drive-through test kit pickup this Saturday, Feb. 19, at Lord Pond Plaza from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There are also COVID test kits available at the Athol Dept. of Health office. Anyone interested in obtaining one – there are two tests per kit – should call 978-721-8450 to arrange for pickup.
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com