Image | WBJ Source: City of Worcester
Note: The city retroactively added cases on June 4. Cases are Thursday-to-Thursday except for the most recent week, which covers a six-day period through Wednesday.
November 25, 2020
Worcester sees 142 new coronavirus cases in a single day
Photo | Grant Welker
Cars line up for coronavirus testing at a UMass Memorial Health Care site on Plantation Street in Worcester.
By Grant Welker
Coronavirus cases rose by 142 in the city of Worcester on Tuesday alone in the latest sign of the critical levels being reached in the second wave locally of the pandemic.
In the past six days, the city has recorded 550 new cases, placing it a pace slightly behind the previous full week, city officials announced outside City Hall on Wednesday. City officials typically report weekly case numbers each Thursday, but moved the report up by a day this week because of Thanksgiving.
City officials pleaded with residents to be safe, particularly during the holiday with any gatherings with family or friends.
"Worcester is not in a good place right now as it relates to COVID cases," Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus said, explaining the rationale behind keeping tight restrictions in place on restaurants and other businesses.
Augustus highlighted the 142 new cases recorded on Tuesday alone. That's among the highest daily case counts reported in the city so far. Worcester had 206 on April 22, by far its highest, about a week after it reported 153. Rates of new cases this month have roughly matched those of April and May when the region previously reached its high point of both cases and deaths.
The 550 new cases in the past six days put it a bit behind the previous week's total of 667 over seven days. That was the city's highest weekly total, not counting a backlog of cases that was reported after the worst of the spring spike.
Worcester now has 9,115 total coronavirus cases and 304 deaths since the pandemic began. The UMass Memorial Health Care and Saint Vincent Hospital systems have now recorded 386 deaths, according to the city, and their hospitalization numbers continue to rise. The two systems' number of inpatient cases now stands at 126, up by 22 in six days. Intensive care patients are now at 37, up by four.
The DCU Center's field hospital is expected to open for a second time on Dec. 6.
Dr. Michael Hirsh, the city's medical director, joined Augustus and Worcester Mayor Joe Petty in urging residents to be as safe as they can during the holidays. Hirsh said he expects people will not adhere to as strict standards as they should with gatherings with family and friends.
"They may not be as diligent as you are in following the three Ws," he said, referring to wearing a mask, washing hands, and watching your distance.
The officials reminded the public even younger people getting sick during the second spike in cases can still have serious and long-lasting health issues and should stay careful. The average age of a coronavirus patient is 49 in the Worcester area now, Petty said, compared to 69 in the first wave.
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