WESTFIELD- The Health Department reported 173 new confirmed COVID-19 cases Jan. 20, bringing the pandemic total for Westfield to 2,112.
The Health Department’s weekly report included one death due to COVID-19, and 87 Westfield residents have died of the coronavirus in the last year.
As of Wednesday, there were 252 active COVID-19 cases in the city.
The newly reported case count shows a drop from last week’s pandemic high of 247 cases in Westfield. Health Director Joseph Rouse said last week that the elevated weekly case counts are most likely because of ill-advised gatherings on Christmas and New Years Eve.
It also comes as Westfield Public Schools returned with the hybrid learning model on Jan. 19. Schools had been closed to in-person learning for a month at Rouse’s advice to prevent the spread of the coronavirus through the school populations in the immediate wake of the holidays.
Westfield State University, which closed its campus after the spread of the coronavirus became out of control in November, will return to in-person learning on Jan. 25. Students will return to their residence halls on campus on Saturday, Jan. 23. Those that are moving back to the campus will require a negative COVID-19 test result taken in the days leading up to the move-in.
