NORTH ADAMS, MASS. —Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will donate up to 150 Coronavirus test kits to North Adams Public Schools (NAPS) available for optional testing for all hybrid or in-person NAPS staff on Monday, November 23. NAPS will be administering the tests at special testing clinics throughout the district.
“We are grateful to be able to provide this essential service to our community partners at this time,” said MCLA President James F. Birge, Ph.D. “The relationship between the College and the City of North Adams is long-standing and invaluable, and in times of need it is our responsibility to help our friends. I want to commend our students, faculty, and staff for their vigilance to keep our campus community as safe as possible this semester. I am thankful they rose to the challenge and followed health and safety protocols throughout the fall. Because of their efforts, the College was able to maintain a low positivity rate that now puts us in a position to be able to help our neighbors.”
“The spirit of collaboration that exists between and among the City of North Adams, our school district, and partners like MCLA is an unbelievable asset during the best of times, but it is a true blessing in these challenging times,” said North Adams mayor Tom Bernard. “I appreciate the steps President Birge and the team at MCLA have taken to keep their students, staff, and faculty – as well as our entire community – safe, and I am especially grateful today for the college’s friendship and generosity in making additional testing capacity available for North Adams Public Schools staff.”
There will be no cost associated, and the tests are intended for staff who are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 but would like to be tested. Those experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should not come to the clinic and instead should contact their personal healthcare provider or call the COVID-19 Hotline through Berkshire Health Systems at 1-855-26-5465.
