For Immediate Release: 4/11/2020 5:39 pm
The City of Worcester has released the following COVID-19 update for April 11:
• There are now 640 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the City of Worcester.
• Since April 1, Worcester has seen an increase of 525 new cases (average of 53 new cases per day).
• The Worcester Police Department has 5 positive cases (4 of the positive members are in isolation), 1 has returned to duty. Four other officers are self-quarantined as a result of exposure to the positive cases.
• The Worcester Fire Department has 6 positive cases. All six have been cleared to return to duty; 22 members are in self-quarantine.
• All combined medical facilities of Saint Vincent Hospital and UMass Memorial Health Care had 164 total COVID-positive in-patients and 59 total COVID-positive ICU patients today. To date, their facilities have had 25 total COVID-related deaths. A total of 95 of their employees have tested positive for the virus.
• There are 20 COVID-19 positive positive cases at the homeless facility at Worcester Technical High School.
• The City of Worcester continues to look for volunteers to staff our temporary homeless shelters at North High School, Saint John’s Church and Ascension Church. To volunteer, please email volunteer@worcesterma.gov.
• UMass Memorial Healthcare is looking to hire qualified medical professionals and students in medical fields for the field hospital at the DCU Center. Those interested can visit joinumassmemorial.com and complete an application.
• Today the City Manager recognized another unsung hero within the City workforce, Dr. Mattie Castiel. She is the Commissioner of Health & Human Services, a post she has held for almost 5 years. A Cuban immigrant who came to the country in 1962, Mattie grew up in California and joined the city in 2015. She has more than 3 decades of experience in medicine and community health, and is board-certified in internal medicine. She graduated in 1981 from the University of California, San Francisco-School of Medicine, where she earned her Doctor of Medicine. For the past 19 years, she has served as a Doctor of Internal Medicine at UMass Memorial Medical Center. For the past 11 years, she has served as an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Psychiatry & Family Medicine at UMass Medical School.
• She is the founder of the Latin American Health Alliance and Hector Reyes House, which helps Latino men recover from substance abuse. In 2015, she opened Café Reyes on Shrewsbury Street, where residents of Hector Reyes House receive on-the-job training. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has led the city’s emergency sheltering efforts. Without Dr. Castiel, many of the city’s most vulnerable populations would have even fewer options and limited resources.
• It was announced on Friday that, with a federal testing waiver secured, and with the passing of state legislation, MCAS testing in grades 3-10 has been cancelled this year.
• The Worcester Together Fund, a partnership between the City of Worcester, the Greater Worcester Community Foundation and United Way of Central Massachusetts, continues to raise money for efforts dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Biomere, a Chinese-owned research company in Worcester, has announced a $10,000 gift to the fund, which has now raised more than $4 million. To donate visit: worcesterma.gov/coronavirus or text “worcestercovid19” to 243725.
• The City of Worcester COVID-19 information line can be reached at 508-799-1019. This service is available in multiple languages. Individuals can speak live with a nurse, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
