Archive by Author
CPHS Public Health Nurses Announce Walk-In Wellness Clinics
Lisa White and Meg Ryan, Public Health Nurses at the Cooperative Public Health Service Health District announce an updated schedule of Walk-In Wellness Clinics across the district.
Services available to member town residents include:
- Preventative and diagnostic health screenings
- Flu and COVID vaccinations
- Individualized help managing chronic health conditions
- Tools for medication self-management (medication calendars, files of life, pill sorters)
- Mercury thermometer & sharps disposal and container exchange (collaboration with Franklin Cty Solid Waste Mgmt. District)
- Home visits available to residents in need
Flyers for printing and sharing:
- West County Public Health Nursing flyer Spring 2022
- North County Public Health Nursing flyer Spring 2022
- South County Public Health Nursing flyer January 2021
Schedule of Clinics:
- Ashfield: First Congregational Church: first Food Pantry Tuesday each month 2 pm-4 pm (February 8, March 8, April 5)
- Bernardston: currently on hiatus
- Charlemont: 2nd Tuesday 10:30-12. Federated Church, 3rd Tuesday 4-5:30 during Good Neighbors Food Distribution
- Conway: 1st Friday 9 am to noon. Conway Town Hall, home visits following.
- Deerfield: Weekly, Wednesdays 10 am to 2 pm, Nurses’ office, Town Offices.
- Erving: 1st Tuesday 9-11. Erving Senior/Community Center.
- Gill: 2nd Fridays, 10 to noon, Stoughton Place Community Room.
- Rowe: 4th Monday 10 am-12 pm , Town Hall
- Shelburne: 4th Tuesday 10:30 am to noon, The Senior Center
COVID Testing Options: Spring 2022
Testing for asymptomatic people (people who are not currently sick):
Greenfield Community College is hosting a Curative (PCR) testing site: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1pm – 4pm. Walk-ins accepted. Bring ID and insurance card, if you have one. Book an appointment & more info here: https://book.curative.com/sites/35435
Greenfield Health Department: Antigen tests for anyone, 7-10 AM Monday, Weds, Friday — no appointment necessary. 20 Sanderson Street, Greenfield.
Montague Health Department: Antigen tests for anyone, Tuesdays from 9-12 at Town Hall Annex (4/5-5/31). Walk-ins welcome.
Walgreen’s at https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/category/covid-19
CVS in Greenfield is no longer offering PCR testing
South County Senior Center, 67 N Main Street, South Deerfield. Free PCR tests for anyone: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:30am-12:30pm. Walk-ins accepted. Bring insurance info if possible. Register & more info here: https://book.curative.com/sites/34744
Take-Home Tests donated by Massachusetts Dept of Public Health are available at the FRCOG, and all FRCOG Public Health Nurse Walk-In Wellness Clinics (click here for towns and times).
Free Government Tests: Yes! Again! Every U.S. household can order an additional set of 4 at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government. This means every home is eligible to receive a total of 8 free tests. Get Free At-Home COVID Tests (Updated May 17, 2022)
How to get a free rapid test from a pharmacy
Where to find free at-home tests
Testing for people with symptoms:
- Medical Providers with onsite testing for their patients include the Community Health Center of Franklin County, Baystate Medical Practices, and Valley Medical Group. If you are a patient at one of these practices and are experiencing symptoms, contact them directly.
- Baystate Franklin Medical Center: https://www.baystatehealth.org/covid19/testing Daily testing in Greenfield at 33 Riddell St. You must schedule an appointment to be tested by calling 413-795-TEST and you will need a physician referral.
At-home testing
- How to use an at-home test: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/using-a-covid-19-self-test
- Most local pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, Walmart) carry a variety of at-home rapid tests, both in their stores and on their websites.
- Click here or call 211 for mail order PCR at-home testing for MA residents who are homebound: https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/ma-testing?utm_source=stateofma&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=covid-19_ma-testing
Celebrating Safely: Winter Gathering Guidance
The winter gatherings safety poster is available in color and black and white PDFs for printing as well as a JPEG for digital sharing below.
winter gatherings safety tip sheet 2021 color
Where to find a COVID 19 Vaccine: Winter 2021/22
Click here for where to find a vaccine.
Face Covering Signs Available
Call 413-774-3167 x 1 if you would like printed color copies of any of these signs for your town/business. Our thanks to Kat Woods Design for the donation of graphic design of the “Masks Recommended”, “Masks Required,” School Mask and Distance and “Unvaccinated?” signs, to the Brookline Health Department for the “Thank you for Wearing A Mask” sign, and to Katie’s Doodles for the “It goes over your nose” signs. Further down this page you will find pdfs of these signs.
The following two signs are available with age exemptions of 2 or 5 years old
(all versions also acknowledge medical exemptions)

Available on strong paper for posting on entry doors — 8.5 x 11. Versions are available with age exemptions of 2 or 5 years old.

Available on strong paper for posting on entry doors — 8.5 x 11. Versions are available with age exemptions of 2 or 5 years old.
Please note the following two signs are larger than 8.5 x 11
PDFs for the above signs:
- Masks Recommended
- Masks Required – 2 and under age exemption
- Masks Required – 5 and under age exemption
- Masks Required in this Building per Order of the Board of Health – 2 and under age exemption
- Masks Required in this Building per Order of the Board of Health- 5 and under age exemption
- Thank You for Wearing Your Mask (two people)
- Masks Required for Unvaccinated People in this Building
- Masks Required
- Schools Masks Required and 3 Feet (note: prints 11 x 17)
- Help Keep Our Town Safe (three people)
- Thank you for wearing a mask (four people)
Preventing tick and mosquito bites: using insect repellents safely
Summer Health Information from the Cooperative Public Health Service Health District:
Insect repellent helps reduce your exposure to tick and mosquito bites that may carry diseases, and allows you to continue to play, work, and enjoy the outdoors with a lower risk of disease. Use repellent when you go outdoors – especially if you go out from dusk to dawn when disease-carrying mosquitoes are most active, or if you are going into tall grass or wooded areas where ticks may climb aboard as you walk by.
Use EPA-registered insect repellents, such as those containing DEET. DEET has been available to the general public since 1957 and has a strong safety record. The American Academy of Pediatrics has approved the use of DEET on children over 2 months old. Use the EPA search tool to find the repellent that’s right for you and your family: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you When you buy a product, look for the EPA registration number at the bottom of the label to ensure it’s been approved for use by the EPA.
Tips for using repellent:
- Always follow the product label instructions.
- Choose a repellent that provides protection for the amount of time that you will be outdoors. A product with a higher percentage of active ingredient is a good choice if you will be outdoors for several hours while a product with a lower concentration can be used if time outdoors will be limited.
- Use the lowest concentration you have found to be personally effective, and apply just enough to cover exposed skin and/or clothing. If biting insects do not respond to a thin film of repellent, then apply a bit more.
- Apply only to exposed skin and clothing, not to skin under clothing.
- Do not apply near eyes and mouth. Apply sparingly around ears.
- Do not spray directly into face; spray on hands first and then apply to face.
- Never use repellents over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
- Do not spray in enclosed areas or near food, and avoid breathing a spray product.
- If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.
- Do not allow young children to apply insect repellent to themselves; have an adult do it for them. Do not apply to children’s hands.
- After returning indoors, wash treated skin and clothes with soap and water.
- Store insect repellents safely out of the reach of children.
- If you are concerned about using insect repellents, consult your health care provider for advice.
For more information about insect repellents, go to the National Pesticide Information Center website at http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/ptype/repel.html
Vaccine Community Forum for Black, Indigenous, and person of color communities
LINKS:
- Link to the Youtube event: https://youtu.be/FgM4KAJm2JQ
- Link to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/945278999540432/
Vaccine Community Conversation for Black, Indigenous and Person of Color Communities
**COVID-19 VACCINE – FRANKLIN COUNTY INFORMATION**
COVID-19 Vaccine in Franklin County
Franklin County Covid-19 vaccination information and Regional Collaborative Vaccine Clinic updates have moved to our new website at www.franklincountymavaccine.org
Who’s Eligible?
See if you are eligible, https://www.mass.gov/covid-19-vaccine
Where to get vaccinated and how to find appointments
See comprehensive listing of Massachusetts vaccination sites with details on how to schedule appointments, https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/
Find County specific information at, www.franklincountymavaccine.org
Vaccine Information and Updates
These situation reports including key updates for the Franklin County vaccination effort are released each Friday afternoon and more often as needed.
Latest Franklin County Covid-19 Vaccine Situation Report, Friday March 19, 2021
State Vaccination Reports are released daily and weekly: MA daily and weekly vaccination reports.
FRCOG’s COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline
Regularly updated message about vaccine availability, call 413-774-3167 extension 153. Please share this number with anyone who prefers to receive information over the phone.
Resources for Seniors
For help scheduling an appointment, arranging transportation, or if you are a home-bound person, call LifePath at 413-829-9285.
People without access to the internet can get help scheduling an appointment at a state run vaccination site, call 2-1-1.
Additional Resources
- Watch The Public Health Institute of Western MA Vaccine Webinar
- Watch The Western Region Homeland Security Advisory Committee Covid Vaccine Information Sessions
- Watch January 28, 2021 Franklin County Vaccine Rollout Session with Senator Comerford and the FRCOG
- Volunteer with the Western Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps
- Vaccination Communications Tool Kit from the CDC (posters, hand outs, fact sheets, and other resources for health care messaging to the general public)
COVID-19 Data and Updates
For an archive of all the emails sent by the state on re-opening, click here
For a Franklin County data dashboard from the Public Health Institute of Western MA, click here.
For the state’s COVID data page, click here.
For the latest situation reports from the MA COVID Command Center, click here.
For the COG’s COVID Municipal Resources Page click here.
For the COG’s Board of Health COVID Resources Page click here.
For local public health COVID case management contacts (public health nurses), click here.
For the Region 1 Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition, click here.
For resources and guidance for businesses, organizations, entrepreneurs, and job seekers, click here.
Click here for testing resources
To read the FRCOG’s Municipal Leader COVID-19 updates: