May 6, 2020
Worcester County sees its largest increase in coronavirus deaths with 34 on Wednesday
Photo | Grant Welker
UMass Memorial Health Care's HealthAlliance campus in Leominster
By Riley Garand
Worcester County has seen the largest reported increase in coronavirus deaths with 34 fatalities on Wednesday and 395 new cases, according to Massachusetts Department of Public Health data.
Wednesday's record 34 deaths bring Worcester County’s total to 365. Statewide, the daily death count also set a new high, with 208 new deaths and a total of 4,420. Both of those numbers reversed a downward trend in the past few days.
The new cases in Worcester County saw the largest increase since April 24 with a 6% rise, which added to the now total 6,992 cases. Across Massachusetts, cases rose by 1,754, or 2% bringing the total to 72,025. The daily rise in cases statewide continue to stay relatively low compared to the reports in April.
The Department of Public Health reports 6,290 more tests administered Wednesday adding to the overall 339,639.
The city of Worcester has seen an increase in cases Wednesday, with a 3% rise compared to Tuesdays 2% change. There were a reported 84 new cases contributing to Worcesters overall of 2,588.
UMass Memorial Health Care and Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester reported 261 total coronavirus patients with 111 in intensive care. Seven new deaths increase the total number of fatalities the hospitals have seen to 144, and 10 new employees have tested positive, bringing the total to 216.
UMass Memorial Medical Center is continuing to work to accommodate the surge of patients. The hospital detailed in a staff memo Wednesday that it is adding eight new negative-pressure rooms on its Memorial Campus to help care for what it believes is the peak of its patient count.
MetroWest Medical Center in Natick and Framingham report 66 suspected and confirmed cases, and Milford Regional Medical Center reports 41, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Other Central Massachusetts hospitals such as Harrington Hospital, Heywood Hospital, and Health Alliance in Leominster report a total 40 total suspected and confirmed cases.
The DCU Center field hospital in Worcester stopped its homeless services Tuesday, transferring 10 remaining patients to a hotel in Northampton. As of Wednesday, there were 29 patients on the medical side of the facility.
Nationally, cases and deaths continue to rise with more than 1.2 million cases, and almost 73,000 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. Throughout the globe, cases are stretching over 3.7 million, and deaths have reached more than 262,000.
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