New Coronavirus Death At Mary Ann Morse In Natick As Cases Spike

NATICK, MA — The Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center in Natick on Friday reported a ninth death due to coronavirus, and a testing effort at the nursing home has led to a sharp increase in the town's overall case load.

On Friday, Natick reported a jump of 72 cases in town — by far the largest single-day increase so far — following a National Guard testing effort at Mary Ann Morse. A total of 75 residents and 36 staff had tested positive as of Friday, according to CEO Lisa Kubiak.

In an update on Saturday, Natick officials said that there were 146 active coronavirus cases in town. That's actually a decrease of one case compared to Friday, but nearly double the 75 active cases marked on Thursday.

"The loss of so many of our loved ones is particularly hard on the staff and is reflective of the severity of this terrible disease," Kubiak said in a statement on Friday. "We offer our sincere condolences to their families and share in their grief. We plan to honor and celebrate the lives of those we lost once this crisis passes."

So far during the pandemic, Natick has marked 216 total coronavirus cases, according to town officials.

There has been a smaller outbreak at the Mary Ann Morse at Heritage facility in Framingham. Five residents and one staff member have tested positive. No deaths have been reported at the Framingham site.

Coronavirus is hitting the state's senior care facilities very hard. As of Sunday, 884 of the state's 1,706 deaths have been in people living in long-term care facilities. Another 6,121 residents and staff at those facilities have tested positive.