School district to have in-person learning next week
SOUTHWICK- The Southwick Board of Health reported nine new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Southwick this week to bring the pandemic total to 460.
This marks the lowest weekly number of cases in Southwick since before the holidays.
On Thursday, Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District Superintendent Jennifer C. Willard sent an email to parents saying that in-person hybrid learning will continue for at least the week of Feb. 22-26.
On Feb. 17, the percent positivity rate for Hampden County was recorded at 4.86 percent, just under the five percent threshold. This means the school district is no longer in the exclusionary period as identified in the Memorandum of Agreement for COVID-19 school district closure metrics.
Because the STGRSD has recorded a low incidence rate of COVID-19, new positive cases detected within the school system will not necessarily close down schools for in-person learning. The drop in the rate of infection mirrors a similar pattern playing out across the country, and it comes as more Massachusetts residents are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Feb. 18, Massachusetts residents aged 65 and older, as well as those aged 16 and older with two or more serious comorbidities, became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gov. Charlie D. Baker’s office also announced this week that the state would only send vaccine doses to individual municipalities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Southwick was not identified as one of these municipalities, and thus the Board of Health will not receive any doses to distribute themselves at this time.
Pharmacies and mass vaccinations sites will still be able to provide doses to any Massachusetts residents who are eligible and have an appointment.
