Worcester City Manager Positive For Coronavirus

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming one of the top government leaders in Massachusetts to have contracted the virus.

Augustus, 55, said he felt sick when he woke up Tuesday morning, and decided to stay home from work and get tested. He received the positive test result on Wednesday, he said, and is now in isolation.

Twenty other people in city government were exposed to Augustus, and are all in quarantine.

"I want to assure people there has been no interruption to the day-to-day functions of city government," he said in a statement. "We will continue our work, while doing so in full accordance with COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our employees and the public."

Although unelected, Augustus serves as the head of city government. Augustus, Mayor Joseph Petty and Medical Director Michael Hirsh have been the face of the city's response to the pandemic, appearing at weekly press briefings together as cases have continued to grow over the past few months.

Augustus most recently appeared in public at Tuesday night's City Council meeting, attending remotely from his home. Augustus also appeared on Thursday with Gov. Baker and other top state officials for a tour of the field hospital at the DCU Center, which began accepting patients on Sunday.

A handful of top government leaders have tested positive for coronavirus, including several members of the state Legislature, Braintree Mayor Charles Kokoros and Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, who only found out she had the virus after taking a test that detects antibodies.