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Updated: March 23, 2020

As testing increases, Worcester County coronavirus cases rise 54%, Mass. records fifth death

Photo | Grant Welker Harrington Hospital in Webster

Worcester County coronavirus cases spiked by 54% in numbers released Sunday, hitting 37 — just a week after there were six.

Statewide numbers from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Sunday reported five deaths, up from two the day before, and 646 in all. Saturday's numbers included 24 cases in Worcester County and 525 statewide.

Of those, 13 are in the city of Worcester itself, according to City Manager Edward Augustus.

Of the three new fatalities reported Sunday, two were men in their 70s from Hampden and Berkshire counties and a third man in his 90s from Suffolk County. So far, 71 patients have required hospitalization.

Massachusetts has the 10th highest reported coronavirus case total in the country, according to a New York Times daily tally, down from fifth a few days prior, a sign of either rising widespread cases elsewhere or variations in how many residents are being tested.

More than 6,000 Massachusetts residents have been tested as of Sunday afternoon. That nearly doubles the amount who were reported tested by Friday.

A special screening facility for first responders and medical professionals was set up March 18 at a CVS in Shrewsbury. Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus said Sunday that 37 firefighters and police officers for the city had been tested.

New York state has by far the highest total of all states, with more than 15,000, according to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, and nationwide cases have surpassed 33,000.

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1 Comments

Anonymous
March 23, 2020
It is time to release the information by communities. Worcester County is big and vague. It’s like walking into a room where two people each have a gun and only one is loaded. One would really like to know to know which one is. People resort to old habits easily. If my town has cases I would want to know so I can be even more vigilant. My little town is doing great. Even the recycle station is using only one person. They are no longer helping with your containers. They are social distancing and doing it right!
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