COVID-19 Update for March 27; 55 Positive Cases
For Immediate Release:
3/27/2020 5:33 pm
The City of Worcester has released the following COVID-19 update for March 27:
- There are 17 new confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in the City of Worcester. There are now 55 overall confirmed positive cases in Worcester. All 55 individuals are being monitored by the Worcester Division of Public Health and are in isolation.
- Governor Baker is asking anyone with plans to travel to Massachusetts to reconsider their plans, especially if they have symptoms. He also recommended that anyone traveling into the state self-quarantine for 14-days.
- The state has also announced today that the 2019 state individual income tax filing and payment deadline has been extended from April 15 to July 15. This income tax relief is automatic and taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms to qualify. This matches the July 15 deadline for filing federal individual income taxes. Any questions should be addressed to the Mass. Dept. of Revenue at 617-887-6367. To donate visit: worcesterma.gov/coronavirus or text “worcestercovid19” to 243725.
- Worcester Together, 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. Today, the City is excited to share the announcement of a Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation COVID-19 Assistance Grant for $10,000. The fund has, to date, raised in excess of $2.2 million.
- Today, the City Manager visited Worcester Technical High School and toured its food preparation facility, where workers were busy preparing meals to be delivered throughout the city.
- More than 15,000 meals have been served since the program started on March 18. (28 Worcester Public School sites; 45 overall sites - with Friendly House sites included.)
- Tomorrow at 1 p.m. the City will bring online a fourth shelter facility at Worcester Tech. (Joining North High School, Ascension Church and St. John’s.) This shelter is being coordinated in partnership between HHS, Dr. Eric Garcia and Community Engagement Group. This shelter is for homeless individuals who’ve tested positive and are recovering, and for individuals who are quarantined and awaiting test results. 25 beds will be for those awaiting results – 5 beds for those that test positive.
- The first round of applications for the City's Small Business Resiliency Grants closes today. As of this afternoon, the City has received more than 160 applications. By early next week, the City will be scoring the eligible applicants for prioritization of the initial $500,000 of funding available. The City is optimistic that we will be receiving additional funding for this program as part of the federal relief package, and eligible applicants not funded initially will be prioritized for that new funding and need not reapply.
- The City's Street and Sanitation department remains fully staffed to provide essential services to residents. The City has developed a staff rotation for DPW employees to take all feasible steps to minimize potential exposure to staff, while ensuring continuity of our essential operations. Employees who need to gain entrance into homes for water and sewer issues will be equipped with proper PPE protocol gear out of an abundance of caution. Other DPW employees will be on a rotating schedule of working a few days and then taking a few days off in order to stop an potential spread of the virus.
- Please help the City curb the spread of this virus by staying off playground equipment and practicing appropriate social distancing. Parks are still open.
- Through the Worcester Senior Center, the City has made outreach to 1,284 seniors to date. A total of 163 outreach phone calls were made to seniors today. A total of 2,512 meals were delivered to seniors today in Worcester by Elder Services of Worcester Area.
- There was a 3-alarm fire early this morning at a three-decker on Fern Street in which 10 people were displaced. There is initial evidence of smoking in the area. Please take caution when disposing of smoking materials. It is important to have working smoke alarms in your home as well as identifying two ways out. Working smoke alarms, save lives. If you have questions, or need assistance, call our Fire Prevention Division at 508-799-1822.
- The City of Worcester COVID-19 information line can be reached at 508-799-1019. This service is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Albanian. We have an option for individuals to speak live with a nurse, Monday through Friday 9 am to 4 pm. The line has received more than 1,900 calls with more than 280 connected to a live nurse.
