After months of very few cases of COVID-19, the city of Pittsfield is experiencing its worst spike in infections since the pandemic began in March.

The city reported 104 new cases on Wednesday, and now has nearly 200 active cases. The high case count is due to a backlog at one of the local testing centers, but it's still more than four times as much as the previous one-day high of 17.

The city in now considered to be "high-risk" for COVID-19, so it is reverting to Stage One of Phase III of re-opening, and all table service at restaurants is prohibited until further notice.

All of the city’s schools will be switching to remote-only learning through December 4 as well.

Mayor Linda Tyer said everyone needs to do a better job of following the state's safety protocols. 

"It's especially difficult because much of what we're seeing is avoidable, and I'm disappointed, quite frankly, that we've had large private house parties and large gatherings in our restaurants, and so we're seeing a significant spike that is very worrisome," Tyer said.

Tyer said the city has brought on additional public health nurses to help with contact tracing efforts, and her COVID-19 task force remains in place and is monitoring the situation closely.