The head of Baystate Health in Springfield says while overall trends on COVID-19 are heading in the right direction, some places in western Massachusetts are lagging compared with the rest of the state.
Baystate CEO Mark Keroack said that based on new COVID-19 cases, the number of Massachusetts communities in the red zone has dropped from 125 to 14.
"That's the good news," he said. "The bad news is that Springfield, Ludlow and Chicopee are three of those 14 towns. They are seeing declining cases, but they are not declining as fast as other cities."
Keroack also said Hampden County is first in the state for new case rates, even though that number is going down.
He said we are seeing "the light at the end of the tunnel" on COVID-19, but that people still need to wear masks and socially distance. And he urges them to get vaccinated as soon as they're eligible.
