Worcester Asks Residents To Wear Face Coverings In Public

WORCESTER, MA — The number of coronavirus cases in Worcester rose to 963 on — and 10 new deaths at the Jewish Healthcare Center — Thursday and city officials are preparing to ask residents to start wearing face coverings while in public.

City Manager Edward Augustus said that starting Friday anyone who goes into a store should wear something like a scarf or bandanna over their mouth and nose. That follows an order Augustus made on Monday asking stores to provide employees with face masks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, many people who get coronavirus don't show symptoms, called being "asymptomatic." There's the potential for asymptomatic people to spread the virus without knowing it, putting high-risk people in danger. Wearing a non-medical grade face covering won't stop coronavirus, but coverings may cut down on body spray from coughs and sneezes.

Other updates from Worcester city officials on Thursday:

Officials are getting a better handle on how coronavirus is affecting local nursing homes. City officials reported 10 new deaths at the Jewish Healthcare Center, where three residents died last week. That facility has an additional 29 residents who have tested positive (17 have recovered), 24 staff who are positive.

Case counts at other Worcester nursing homes:

• Blaire House — 12 residents positive, 3 staff positive
• Holy Trinity Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — 1 death, 45 residents positive, 10 staff either positive or symptomatic
• Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center — 1 death (a patient transferred from Holy Trinity), 58 residents positive
• Parsons Hill Rehabilitation & Health Care Center — 1 resident positive, 3 staff positive
• Shrewsbury Nursing & Rehab Center — 14 residents positive, 13 staff positive

Between Saint Vincent and UMass Memorial hospitals, 204 people are being treated for coronavirus, a drop of four compared to Wednesday. Between the two hospitals, 83 people are in intensive care, and 40 people have died. The field hospital at the DCU Center has nine patients.

The temporary homeless shelter at Worcester Technical High School hit capacity on Thursday. The school is being used for homeless people who have tested positive for coronavirus, and 25 people are now living there. Augustus did say that officials are evaluating whether using a local hotel to house homeless people would work in Worcester. Officials in King County near Seattle have used local hotels to protect homeless people from the virus.

The SMOC shelter will also open a new shelter at the Martin Luther King Jr. Opportunity Center along Chandler Street for 30 people.

Correction: The city of Worcester incorrectly reported that 13 people had died at the Holy Trinity facility. This story has been corrected to reflect that 10 deaths have happened at the Jewish Healthcare System, bringing the total deaths there over the course of the outbreak to 13.