Worcester declares state of emergency as county coronavirus cases hit six
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Downtown Worcester
The number of confirmed or presumed coronavirus cases in Worcester County rose from two to six, and Worcester city officials declared a state of emergency Sunday.
"This upcoming week is a critical week in this pandemic," Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus said at a press conference, urging the avoidance of large gatherings.
The emergency declaration is an executive measure by Augustus to protect the overall health & safety of the community. It allows the City to act quickly and increase its powers depending upon how the situation changes. The City's emergency operation center is running at full activation with representatives of all major city departments.
In Worcester city, there are two presumptive positive cases of coronavirus.
Statewide the number coronavirus cases rose to 164, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said Sunday.
Worcester County's first case was announced March 9, and a second case March 13. The City of Worcester announced its first case Saturday and its second Sunday.
Middlesex County has 75 reported cases and Norfolk and Suffolk counties each have 31. Of the 164 cases statewide, 119 are presumptive and 45 are confirmed, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In 13 cases, a patient has been hospitalized.
A majority of the cases, now 103, are connected to a conference for Cambridge biotech firm Biogen in Boston in late February, including the Worcester case.
The City of Worcester's Division of Public Health has investigated five people for coronavirus, one of which tested negative and four of which are awaiting test results, Augustus said.
Individuals associated with the city's North High School and Chandler Magnet School are included in this group of four still awaiting test results. All four continue to be in isolation and monitored by city health officials, he said.
The rising number of Worcester County cases comes as major institutions in Central Massachusetts have gotten more aggressive in their response in the past week, including nearly every college deciding to at least postpone or move classes online temporarily. College of the Holy Cross in Worcester has moved courses online for the rest of the spring semester, having required students to move out of their dorms by Saturday.
Hospitals have sharply restricted visitor policies, and UMass Memorial Medical Center has set up a special tent to screen patients outside its University Campus in Worcester. In Natick, a planned closure of acute care services at Leonard Morse Hospital has been postponed indefinitely to help accommodate MetroWest Medical Center's response.
Small businesses have reported sharp drops in business, and venues including the DCU Center and Hanover Theatre have called off upcoming events.
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Thank you for using "presumptive" and "confirmed"; your report is more accurate than what I have seen from the fear mongerers.
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