BOSTON (WWLP) – After seeing an uptick in the number of high-risk COVID-19 communities in western Massachusetts last week, newly released data by state public health officials on Thursday shows a slight decrease.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the following western Massachusetts municipalities remain at high-risk for COVID-19 as of Jan. 21, 2021:
Last week, western Massachusetts hit a new record high with 31 red zones, according to data provided by the state. A ‘red zone,’ means the area has reported more than 25 COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days.
The data is also based on the state’s new criteria which now takes population size into account when determining an area’s level of COVID-19 spread.
DPH 
DPH
There are currently 15 western Massachusetts communities in the ‘yellow zone,’ meaning those areas are at moderate risk for spreading COVID-19. Those areas include Amherst, Cheshire, Chester Easthampton, Greenfield, Hinsdale, Holland, Lenox, Longmeadow, Montague, North Adams, Northampton, South Hadley, Stockbridge, and Williamstown.
DPH officials also reported eight low-risk areas in western Massachusetts Thursday: Erving, Huntington, Lanesborough, Otis, Russell, Sheffield, Wales, Westhampton.
Full COVID-19 Public Health Report
State public health officials also reported 75 newly confirmed deaths on Thursday, along with 4,821 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts.
Since the pandemic began in early March 2020, there have been a total of 458,089 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts and 13,547 COVID-related deaths.
