In Massachusetts, coronavirus cases are increasing day by day and the latest place to get affected is a veterans facility in the state. According to reports, around 11 people died in the residential area and the same day, the facility’s superintendent was given an administrative leave. Out of these 11 fatalities, 5 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and due to further threats, they have taken the decision of closing the place down.

Source: Wavy

A state official has confirmed the news and stated that they are conducting tests on the other 5 people to confirm the cause of their deaths as the status of the 11th person has not been identified.

Apart from the eleven other deaths, 11 more people have tested positive in the Soldiers’ Home while five staff members and 25 more veteran residents are waiting for their test results, according to NBC affiliate WWLP of Springfield.

The governor has taken notice of the incident and said that public health officials are preparing a detailed report to review the situation and will soon notify the residents about the preventative measures.

Superintendent Bennett Walsh has been given paid administrative leave while Val Liptak, the CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital has to take over the Soldiers’ Home as confirmed by state Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary, Dan Tsai.

Source: wwlp

The department monitoring the veteran facility has also devised an “onsite clinical command team” of medical, epidemiological and other paramedic staff to limit the spread of the virus in the state. As noted on the website, this home provides residential care and has a 247-bed long-term nursing care facility to take care of the affected patients.

Source: Masslive

The mayor of Holyoke, the city where the Soldiers’ Home is located is heartbroken as he said, “It has been devastating to hear about the full extent of the COVID-19 outbreak at the Soldiers’ Home. While I am grateful that the State is now taking swift action to ensure residents and staff get necessary care and treatment, I am grief-stricken for those we have already lost, and my heart goes out to their families and friends.”

Governor Baker also visited the facility to assess the situation and said, “The loss of these residents to COVID-19 is a shuddering loss for us all.”

Right now, Massachusetts is one state that is experiencing an alarming number of COVID-19 cases as 5700 confirmed patients are admitted in the hospitals according to the state Public Health Department.