Worcester Closes Facility For Homeless With Coronavirus

WORCESTER, MA — The remaining homeless residents being treated for coronavirus at the DCU Center have been moved to a hotel in Northampton, city officials said Wednesday.

Ten homeless people were being treated in a special section of the DCU Center separate from a field hospital at the arena. City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said it was getting difficult to staff the homeless section, and so the patients were moved to the hotel, which is being paid for by the state.

The Worcester residents will remain in isolation at the hotel while also receiving wraparound services. They will return to the SMOC shelter in Worcester once their treatment is over, Augustus said.

The section for homeless at the DCU Center opened on April 19. The number of homeless people who tested positive for the virus was up to 46 at that point, which was too many for a city-run shelter that had been set up at Worcester Technical High School.

On Wednesday, Worcester added 85 new coronavirus cases for a pandemic total of 2,588. There are 261 being treated at Worcester hospitals, including 111 in intensive care. So far, 144 people have died in local hospitals, an increase of 10 since May 4.

There are now 29 people being treated at the DCU Center's field hospital for people recovering from coronavirus.