Image | WBJ Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Updated: April 17, 2020
Worcester County reports new single-day record increase in coronavirus cases Friday
Photo | Grant Welker
Quest Diagnostics in Marlborough has conducted more than 61,000 coronavirus cases as of Friday, by far the most in Massachusetts.
Friday easily marked a new high for a single-day increase in coronavirus cases in Worcester County with 262, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Eight more deaths in Worcester County were also reported Friday, bringing the total to 92. Deaths across Massachusetts rose by 159 to reach 1,404.
Statewide, cases reached 34,402 after a one-day increase of 2,221, or 7%. Worcester County's 10% increase Friday brings the total case count in the county to 2,765.
Those whose deaths in Worcester County were announced Friday include a woman over 100, three women in their 90s, three women in their 70s and a man in his 70s.
The City of Worcester announced 1,067 total cases as of Thursday, up 104, or 11%. City officials also announced for the first time an outbreak at St. Mary Health Care Center, a retirement care community, which has 33 total patient cases and 18 employee cases.
Saint Vincent Hospital and UMass Memorial Health Care have a total 192 total inpatient cases and 81 intensive care patients. Their facilities have had 45 coronavirus deaths and 115 of their employees have tested positive for the virus.
UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester leaders said in an online meeting Friday they expect area cases to peak around April 26 to 28. By that point, they expect to need 142 intensive care beds, compared to 117 reported ICU coronavirus patients reported at UMass Memorial's two Worcester hospitals Thursday by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
UMass Memorial, which is leading management of a coronavirus field hospital at the DCU Center in Worcester, is also exploring whether to use the convention center for homeless people who don't have the virus in order to help aleve space demands at shelters, Chief Nursing Officer Justin Precourt said.
Image | WBJ Source: City of Worcester
The hospital has also begun studying race disparities among coronavirus patients in the system, a process being led by Eric Alper, a vice president and chief of clinical informatics, and Jeanne Shirchac, the vice president of health policy.
UMass Memorial is now doing all coronavirus testing internally, with a turnaround of less than 10 hours before results. Symptomatic patients over 65 now can get testing as abilities to conduct tests broadens.
The hospital has so far conducted more than 3,800 tests, according to the state Department of Public Health. Total cases conducted statewide so far rose Friday by 7,971 to 148,744.
Coronavirus cases nationally have slowed somewhat in roughly the past week, totaling about 685,000 late Friday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. The United States has reported nearly 35,000 deaths. Worldwide, cases have surpassed 2.2 million cases with 151,000 deaths.
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