WESTFIELD/SOUTHWICK – The local COVID-19 infection rate remained relatively low this week in Westfield and Southwick as the positive rate across the state increased.
The City of Westfield reported 13 new COVID-19 infections this week, bringing the total for the city to 567 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The stable numbers come as the Westfield School Committee approved a plan that would bring some students back for in-person learning starting on Oct. 19. The plan will bring back Kindergarten, first, second, fifth, seventh, and ninth grade students in a hybrid system for the time being.
The Town of Southwick reported three new confirmed COVID-19 cases Friday afternoon, bringing the total to 81 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Across the state the daily number of new confirmed cases and the percentage of positive tests out of all of the tests that were taken spiked to levels first seen in the Spring when Massachusetts was a COVID-19 hotspot. The average daily percent positive rate from Oct. 1 to Oct. 9 was 4.05 percent. Oct. 3 was the highest percentage recorded during that period at 4.3 percent with 600 cases out of 13,813 total tests.
The highest total number of daily cases in that period was Oct. 2, which saw 753 new confirmed COVID-19 cases out of 21,451 total tests.
