City of Worcester, MA

COVID-19 Update for April 13; 715 Positive Cases

For Immediate Release: 4/13/2020 5:51 pm

The City of Worcester has released the following COVID-19 update for April 13:

• There are now 715 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the City of Worcester.
  
  
• Positive cases for surrounding towns: Shrewsbury: 89, Grafton: 31, Holden: 28, Leicester: 14 
  
  
• Since April 1, Worcester has seen an increase of 600 new cases (average of 50 new cases per day).
  
  
• As of today, there are 8 patients at the DCU Center and 22 positive patients at the homeless shelter at Worcester Technical High School.
  
  
• The Worcester Police Department has 5 positive cases (4 of the positive members are quarantined), 1 has returned to duty. Five 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; 3 members are in self-quarantine. 
  
  
• All combined medical facilities of Saint Vincent Hospital and UMass Memorial Health Care had 191 total COVID-positive in-patients and 65 total COVID-positive ICU patients today. To date, their facilities have had 27 total COVID-related deaths. A total of 101 of their employees have tested positive for the virus.
  
  
• As part of the City's continued efforts to ensure public health and safety, tomorrow the City Manager plans to order all public-facing retail stores in Worcester, including supermarkets and convenience stores, to provide their employees with face masks for use while at work.
  
  
• Residents are reminded NOT to discard gloves and masks on the ground. Discared gloves and masks have been seen around the city, including in supermarket parking lots. This is both a health and environmental hazard. Gloves and masks should be put in an appropriate trash container or bag. Resuable masks can be stored in a brown paper bag or ziploc bag. Hands should be washed and sanitized after handling or discarding used gloves and masks.
  
  
• The City has received reports of some car washes still operating despite the state's closure order. These car washes have received cease and desist orders from the state and being told they must close or will face fines. 
  
  
• At its last meeting, the City Council declared April 27 as city-wide Take Out Day. Residents are encouraged to order takeout from their favorite local restaurants on this day to help our local businesses during these challenging times. 
  
  

• 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. The Worcester Public Schools has started a fundraising drive for the Worcester Together Fund with a goal that every teacher and administrator donates $25 to raise more than $60,000. As of today, 244 donors had given $8,713. The Fund also announced two new $25,000 donors today: Mary de Feudis and Bartholomew and Company. The fund has, to date, raised more than $4.2 million. To donate visit: worcesterma.gov/coronavirus or text “worcestercovid19” to 243725.

• Today the City Manager recognized another unsung hero within the City workforce, Meghan Gomes, Deputy Director of Emergency Management. Meghan is a graduate of Worcester State University, and has been working for the Emergency Management Division since 2014. Before that she worked as a 911 Dispatcher. Meghan has always proven herself to take the initiative and has demonstrated superior job performance and leadership. In addition to her role in the division, she is the Chairperson of Worcester’s Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). Perhaps Meghan’s best and defining quality is the compassion and empathy she brings into every situation. This helps the division on a daily basis, and really lends itself to her role as the Mass Care Unit Leader for the COVID-19 Response. She goes above and beyond and manages all this while being the mother of two small children.
  
  
• Senior Center update: Number of seniors contacted to date: 3,257; Outreach phone calls made today: 180; Number of meals delivered to seniors in Worcester today: 862.
  
  
• 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.