3 Coronavirus Deaths At Worcester Senior Facility

WORCESTER, MA — Three residents of the Jewish Healthcare Center senior care facility in Worcester died of coronavirus, officials reported Thursday, and 13 more residents have tested positive for the virus.

The grim news comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Worcester rose to 212 on Thursday — up from 165 on Wednesday.

Of the 13 residents of Jewish Healthcare Center who have coronavirus, only one was showing symptoms as of Thursday, and all are in isolation. Six staff members at the facility have tested positive, and six more are waiting on tests.

"Unfortunately, we're going to find this vulnerable population is filling up the rolls of the death category all too often," Worcester Medical Director Dr. Michael Hirsh said.

Out of about 700 senior living facilities in Massachusetts, 78 are experiencing some type of coronavirus outbreak, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said on Thursday.

The most high-profile case in the state is at the soldiers home in Holyoke, where 18 senior citizens have died. Two more residents at the Chelsea soldiers home have died. Another five residents at the Jack Satter House senior living home in Revere have died.

Coronavirus is especially deadly for elderly people and those with underlying medical conditions, health officials have said. Most of the 156 people who have died so far in Massachusetts have been between 50 and 100.

The Jewish Healthcare Center offers a variety of services for seniors, from long and short-term care to dementia care. The facility is located along Salisbury Street near the Worcester JCC.