The town remains in the moderate risk category for the second week in a row
SOUTHWICK- The Department of Public Health reported eight COVID-19 cases in Southwick last week to bring the town’s pandemic total to 623.
On May 27 Health Director Tammy Spencer said that Southwick would remain in the moderate risk category. At that time, 11 people were in isolation with COVID-19 in Southwick.
Spencer said that Southwick’s vaccination rate is lower than the average for Hampden County. Thirty-four percent of Southwick residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while the same is true for 46 percent of Hampden County residents.
Forty-six percent of Southwick residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“At this point, people who haven’t been vaccinated yet either aren’t going to get the vaccine at all, or we need to make it as easy as possible and remove every single barrier,” said Spencer.
She said she is in talks with Curative, a COVID-19 testing service, to have a mobile vaccine clinic at Southwick schools for students. The district sent a survey to families asking if they would take advantage of an in-school clinic.
Now that the May 29 reopening date has passed, Spencer said that Town Hall in Southwick is open under the current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance. That guidance states that masks will only be required for those who have not yet been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Those who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to forgo a mask.
