Health Care

Fitchburg State University's Landry Arena is being set up as a mortuary for coronavirus in case it's needed to give extra capacity to hospitals and funeral homes.

Another 130 Worcester County coronavirus cases were reported Wednesday, along with two additional deaths.

Worcester County's rate of confirmed coronavirus cases is among the top 10% of all counties nationally, and its death rate is in the top 11%.

Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Worcester, which was to be emptied to allow the 150-bed facility to be converted into a coronavirus treatment facility, had several patients test positive for the virus, its parent company said Wednesday.

Enough capacity still remains to care for coronavirus patients in the Worcester area but likely not for long, UMass Memorial Health Care President and CEO Eric Dickson said at the DCU Center on Wednesday, as the convention center began being filled with equipment to become operational as a field hospital.

UMass Memorial Health Care of Worcester has been in talks with local nursing students and has set up a website to make it easier for them to join the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The Boston Athletic Association donated approximately 3,000 race day ponchos to St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester on Tuesday, to be used as personal protective equipment for staff responding to the coronavirus pandemic, the Town of Hopkinton announced in a press release.

GVNA HealthCare in Gardner and the VNA of Southern Worcester County in Webster announced they merged on Wednesday, after the separate boards signed off on the deal.

As COVID-19 continues to spread, Milford Regional Medical Center has strictly designated its Northbridge and Franklin Urgent Care offices as care locations for those experiencing coronavirus-like symptoms, the healthcare provider announced on Tuesday.

The CVS store at 720 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury is expanding its coronavirus screening services to those 65 and older who show symptoms of the virus, the company announced late Tuesday.