Palmer and Monson are back in the red zone for COVID-19 risk – WWLP.com

PALMER, Mass. (WWLP) Some say we are nearing the end of this pandemic, but the fight is still far from over.

Coronavirus has pushed back in Massachusetts, a state that saw a spike in red communities, going from 20 to 32 in the last week.

From Tuesday to Wednesday, Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer went from 7 to 11 COVID-19 patientsand this comes as Palmer, Monson and Lee join Chicopee and Southwick as the only western Massachusetts red communities.

Going back into the red is concerning for Palmer businesses, that have overcome a lot, just to get to this point.

Weve been in business since July of 2001 and weve never seen anything this bad before, said Fabio Montefusco, Kitchen Manager of Apollo Pizzeria Restaurant. But we are doing the best we can, thats it. We just have to adapt to what the world brings us these days.

Health officials are urging residents to double down on mask wearing, and social distancing, to stop the spread and evolution of the virus.

Whatever decision you make right now, is also a decision that affects the people around you, said Dr. Armando Paez, Chief of Baystate Medical Centers Infectious Diseases Division. If you let it slide, and let the variants become the dominant strain thats circulating, theres a chance the vaccines may not work.

Dr. Paez also said recent data indicates that the virus is spreading more through younger residents.

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Palmer and Monson are back in the red zone for COVID-19 risk - WWLP.com