Community Corner
Worcester Memorial To Residents Who Died Of COVID-19 Will Be Dedicated
Over 500 Worcester residents have died due to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic more than two years ago.
WORCESTER, MA — More than two years into a pandemic that's still going, Worcester will officially open a memorial this week for residents who died due to COVID-19.
Worcester's COVID-19 memorial will live at Elm Park along Russell Street. The memorial will include a plaque, and will act as a place of reflection for locals who lost someone due to the virus, according to city officials.
As of last week, the city of Worcester alone had counted over 500 deaths due to the virus — more than the number of residents who died fighting in either World War I or the Civil War. The city has seen about 100 deaths in the past year alone, a period when vaccines became available, but also when the delta and omicron variants drove cases up.
Over 2,500 Worcester County residents have died since March 2020. Just under 19,000 residents have died statewide due to COVID-19 over the past two years.
Although the omicron variant has largely subsided, a subvariant called BA.2 is beginning to emerge as a main driver of new cases. Cases across Massachusetts reached recent lows at the beginning of March, but were beginning to increase last week in many communities across the state.
Worcester's COVID-19 memorial dedication will begin Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. with Mayor Joseph Petty, City Manager Ed Augustus Jr., Medical Director Dr. Michael Hirsh and Health and Human Services Commissioner Dr. Matilde Castiel.
