By CHRIS COLLINS
(Montague, MA) — The town of Montague is now considered a “hot spot” for COVID 19 contagion.
Montague Town Administrator Steve Ellis confirmed that a recent spike in COVID cases coupled with other data has compelled the state to declared Montague a “red zone,” which has forced the community to close public access to all town-owned buildings, effective immediately.
“These buildings will be open for employees but public access is being restricted as a precaution,” Ellis said.
Ellis said Montague’s two-week COVID case count was 33, which, along with average daily rates and percentage of positive tests were enough to put the town in the red. And though the designation is concerning, Ellis said it’s not all that surprising given the present state of the pandemic.
“COVID is transmitting at a very high rate, and there are many communities that are in the red zone,” Ellis said. “Our focus continues to be on public safety and following the protocols necessary to contain the spread of this virus.”
Montague is currently the only Franklin County town in the red zone. Buckland and Sunderland also received the designation after those towns saw a spike in cases earlier this year.