Worcester Coronavirus Update: 440 Cases In City

WORCESTER, MA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Worcester continues to rise as city officials announced on Wednesday that 42 more residents have tested positive compared to Tuesday. The citywide total of cases now stands at 440. The city’s death toll remains at 19. Despite the rising numbers, however, local health officials believe that the city's two primary hospitals will be able to accommodate the caseload unless the pandemic was to get considerably worse in coming weeks.

Dr. Michael Hirsh, the city's medical director, said at Wednesday's press briefing that unless deaths doubled on a weekly basis more than twice, local medical centers – including St. Vincent and UMass Memorial – have the capacity to treat new patients. But as is the case nationwide, personal protection equipment continues to run at a shortage, including gowns and swabs that are found in coronavirus testing kits.

But for the time being, Hirsh said, physicians and other healthcare professionals continue to meet the challenge the pandemic presents. As of Wednesday, 16,790 people in Massachusetts have tested positive and 433 have died.

"The medical centers are definitely working very, very hard but they are keeping up with the volume up to now," he said.

Saint Vincent and UMass Memorial are reporting a total of 130 confirmed cases, up 18 from Tuesday and that 41 patients remain in intensive care. Confirmed cases among health care workers also increased on Wednesday when four additional cases were announced, taking the total number to 83.

The spread of coronavirus also continues among the city’s first responders, city officials said on Wednesday. Two more Worcester police officers have tested positive, taking the number of confirmed cases to four within the department, although one of those officers has recovered and has returned to work. Six other officers have not tested positive but have been in close contact with officers who have been diagnosed with the virus and who are now in self-quarantine. The Worcester Fire Department has six confirmed cases of coronavirus and four firefighters have been cleared to return to work. City officials announced that a total of 27 more firefighters remain in quarantine due to being in close proximity to those who have tested positive.

Hirsh said that medical officials are still pinpointing the peak of the pandemic to hit Worcester around April 19 or 20 - about six days later than anticipated. He said Wednesday that a lag in the reporting of confirmed cases has impacted how certain health officials can be about when the peak date will actually take place.

"It's definitely something that remains a moving target," Hirsh said.