WESTFIELD- The local rate of COVID-19 transmission fell back to all-time lows this week in both Westfield and Southwick.
In Westfield there were just four new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total to 544 since the beginning of the pandemic. Those four people were in isolation as of Wednesday when the new numbers were announced.
In Southwick there was just one new COVID-19 infection, remaining in line with the rate the small town has experienced throughout much of the pandemic.
Southwick Health Director Tammy Spencer said that despite the single new case, there are no longer any active cases in Southwick. She said most of the recent cases in the town had come from residents traveling out of state and returning with the virus.
The low local numbers come as the state as a whole has had dramatic swings in the percent positive rate over the last week. There have been several days recently where the number of new cases in Massachusetts topped 500 for the first time in months. The percent of positive tests to total tests also topped two percent multiple times this week.
On Friday, Massachusetts removed the state of Oregon from its list of states considered to be low risk. This means that people traveling from Oregon to Massachusetts must now quarantine for 14 days upon arrival or produce a negative COVID-19 test.
