Editor’s note: The Greenfield Recorder has been providing regular updates on the risk level of COVID-19 transmission as wastewater testing results are received.

The COVID-19 transmission risk has returned to “low” in the four communities involved in the Contact Tracing Collaborative, which consists of Greenfield, Deerfield, Montague and Sunderland.

Active cluster infections (of three or more people at one site) have decreased from five to three, according to Greenfield Health Director Jennifer Hoffman.

Copies of the virus in wastewater also dropped last week, and case incidence is down compared to the week before. Hospitalizations from COVID-19 also remain low, averaging three cases per day.

As a result, the municipalities are in the green zone after one week in the yellow zone, with a “low” risk of COVID-19 transmission.

With President Joe Biden’s recent announcement that he will end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations in May — thus treating COVID-19 as an endemic — Hoffman advised residents to get their vaccinations and booster shots before having to pay out-of-pocket for them.

In combination with wastewater testing — people with an active COVID-19 infection excrete the virus in their stool and samples from wastewater treatment plants can be analyzed to estimate community virus levels — the four municipalities factor in hospitalization numbers, positivity rates and case numbers to determine risk levels. Meanwhile, health officials continue to talk with nursing homes, businesses and schools to track cluster infections. Members of the collaborative recently added school absenteeism as a new measure to compensate for the loss of the PCR testing.

The following three zones, defined by the Contact Tracing Collaborative, are used to gauge risk levels of COVID-19 transmission in the four communities. For the risk level in the area to change, at least two measures need to apply.

Red zone: High COVID-19 risk

Masking recommended.

■Cluster infections (of three or more people at one site): five or more.

■Percent positive tests out of total tests performed: greater than 10%.

■Hospitalizations: five or more.

■Increase in case trend.

■Increase in wastewater trend.

Yellow zone: Moderate COVID-19 risk

Masking encouraged.

■One to four cluster infections.

■Stable positive testing.

■Fewer than five hospitalizations.

■Stable case incidence.

■Stable wastewater.

Green zone: Low to minimal COVID-19 risk

Masking optional.

■No cluster infections.

■Decrease in positive tests.

■Decrease in hospitalizations.

■Decrease in case incidence.

■Decreased virus copies in wastewater.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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