The Massachusetts Department of Public Health made available to 102 towns in Massachusetts free COVID -19 test kits. The allocation for the town of Peru has been dispensed. If you have concerns regarding exposure to COVID-19 or have any respiratory symptoms including cough, runny nose or sore throat and/or fever you should get tested and contact your health care provider. Resources for testing include: home kits available at retail pharmacies, shipments come in daily and run out fast, keep trying and plan to have kits at home if needed and Stop the Spread testing sites provide testing. Call 855-262-5465 to schedule an appointment. Locations include: 505 East Street, Pittsfield, 98 Church St, North Adams and 475 Main Street Great Barrington. The federal government is making 500 million home COVID test kits available, mailed to your home on request. The website for requests is being set up and plan is it will be accessible next month.
To continue to reduce the spread of COVID-19 get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed, if possible upgrade your masks to a cloth mask over a surgical mask to assure a good and tight fit, KN95 or N95 mask. Regardless of vaccine status wear a mask indoors in public spaces and gatherings. Rethink gathering indoors with people who are unvaccinated, or vaccine status is unknown. The COVID-19 vaccine initial series plus a booster is the main way to protect against severe COVID infection. The vast majority of deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID remain among the unvaccinated. For vaccine information see getvaccinatedberkshires.org. Many locations have vaccines available including the same testing sites as above, retail pharmacies, mobile health unit and some larger scale vaccine clinics are being scheduled.
