COVID-19 Update for April 24; 1,618 Positive Cases
For Immediate Release:
4/24/2020 5:33 pm
The City of Worcester has released the following COVID-19 update for April 24:
- There are 1,618 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the City of Worcester (an increase of 79 positive cases from Thursday, April 23).
- Since April 1, Worcester has seen an increase of 1,503 new cases (average of 63 new cases per day in the month of April).
- Positive case counts in surrounding towns: Shrewsbury: 155; Holden: 38, Grafton: 45; Leicester: 65; Millbury: 138
- There are no updates from yesterday on cases within the Worcester Police Department and Worcester Fire Department. There are 5 positive cases to date in the Worcester Police Department and 6 positive cases to date in the Worcester Fire Department.
- All combined medical facilities of Saint Vincent Hospital and UMass Memorial Health Care had 243 total COVID-positive in-patients today, which includes 93 total COVID-positive ICU patients. To date, their facilities have had 73 total COVID-related deaths. A total of 147 of their employees have tested positive for the virus.
- The homeless shelter at the DCU Center has 63 positive homeless clients as of today. The field hospital site at the DCU Center had 18 patients (non-homeless) as of today. 8 clients will be discharged from the DCU Shelter today and will be transferred to the SMOC Shelter at 25 Queen Street.
- A total of 66 clients were tested at the SMOC homeless sheleter yesterday. 14 clients who tested positive will be transferred to the DCU Center shelter today. 52 clients who tested negative will be moved the SMOC MLK site, which had 9 clients as of this morning.
- Volunteers at the St. John's shelter contributed more than 475 hours providing services such as serving meals, overseeing medication dispensing, cleaning, and building relationships with shelter clients. The shelter was open from March 23 to April 21.
- Beaumont Rehabilitation census: 71 positive cases are currently housed at the Beaumont facility (7 admissions today; 2 discharges today).
- Today, the City Manager joined Mayor Petty; At-Large City Councilor Kate Toomey, who chairs the City Council’s Public Safety Committee; and Dr. Michael Hirsh in visiting Worcester/UMass Memorial EMS. Worcester EMS serves all of Worcester and the UMass system and also provides 911 services to Shrewsbury. They answer some 35,000 911 calls a year and have approximately 75 total personnel. During the COVID-19 crisis, they are providing swabbing and transportation services to the homeless population.
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Notice of retirement scam: The City has been informed of a possible phone scam involving someone contacting City of Worcester retirees. The caller promises free retiree benefits. The City of Worcester Retirement Board sent out an email to all retirees with email addresses on file and a follow-up mailing will be sent on Monday making them aware of the scam. The City is NOT making these phone calls. As a reminder, residents should never give out any protected, personal information such as their date of birth or Social Security number.
- To date, Worcester Together has raised more than $5 million in just five weeks and has distributed grants totaling almost $850,000. New gifts announced today: $10,000 from the Coghlin Family from Columbia Tech and $5,000 from Wells Fargo Bank. To donate please visit: worcesterma.gov/coronavirus or text worcestercovid19 to 243725.
- Senior Center update: Number of seniors contacted to date: 4,800; Outreach phone calls: 186 calls made today; Number of meals delivered today: 1,143.
- The City of Worcester COVID-19 information line can be reached at 508-799-1019. There is an option for individuals to speak live with a nurse, Monday through Friday 9 am to 4 pm. More than 3,700 calls have been received; more than 860 calls have been connected to a live nurse.
- Today the City Manager honored two more unsung heroes within the City workforce, public health nurses Sandra Early and Amelia Houghton. Sandy serves as a Nurse Leader and has been with the Worcester Division of Public Health for more than 21 years. She is one of three public health nurses that continuously go above and beyond. In addition to contacting positive COVID-19 individuals and close contacts, Sandy also monitors all MDPH reportable communicable diseases. Sandy is often in the field, in patient’s homes providing clinical guidance and direct observed medication therapy. Amelia serves as a Regional Public Health Nurse and has been with WDPH for more than three years. She spends half the week supporting the Worcester Senior Center for wellness programs and the other half in Leicester, Shrewsbury, Holden and Grafton. Amelia has been proactive in teaching seniors lifesaving CPR classes and working with area colleges and their nursing students to provide hands on experience.
