BOSTON (WWLP) – State health officials on Thursday reported eight communities in western Massachusetts at high-risk for COVID-19 spread, making this the third week in a row indicating that cases are trending downwards.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the towns/cities listed below are in the ‘red zone’ as of Thursday, Feb. 18. Health officials take population size into account when determining an area’s level of COVID-19 spread.
- Chicopee
- Holyoke
- Ludlow
- Southampton
- Southwick
- Springfield
- Sunderland
- Ware
A “red zone” means more than 25 COVID-19 cases were reported in those areas within the last two weeks.
DPH: 15 western Massachusetts communities at high-risk for COVID-19
Photo: DPH 
Photo: DPH
There are now a total of 21 western Massachusetts communities at moderate risk (yellow zone), meaning less than or equal to 25 COVID-19 cases were reported. A majority of the areas currently listed in the yellow zone were in the red zone for weeks before vaccinations began:
- Adams
- Agawam
- Amherst
- Belchertown
- East Longmeadow
- Easthampton
- Granby
- Great Barrington
- Hadley
- Hampden
- Lenox
- Longmeadow
- Monson
- North Adams
- Northampton
- Palmer
- Pittsfield
- South Hadley
- West Springfield
- Westfield
- Wilbraham
DPH: 23 high-risk communities in western Massachusetts
Last week, state health officials reported 17 western Massachusetts areas in the yellow zone.
State health officials also reported the following five communities at low-risk (green zone) for COVID-19 spread:
- Brimfield
- Dalton
- Greenfield
- Holland
- Williamstown
DPH: 28 western Massachusetts communities at high-risk for COVID-19
A “green zone” means less than or equal to 10 COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 14 days. Also on Thursday, Massachusetts reported 61 new CODI-related deaths and 1,803 new active cases.
Since the pandemic began in March 2020, there have been a total of 533,024 confirmed COVID cases and 15,312 deaths in the Commonwealth.
Here is more information on the state’s Weekly COVID-19 Public Health Report
