The superintendent of a veterans facility in Massachusetts was placed on leave Monday, the same day it was reported that residents had died, including at least five who had tested positive for the coronavirus illness COVID – 56.
A state official said test. results are pending for five others who died at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke. The status of the th person who died was unknown.
Eleven other residents have tested positive, as well as five staff members, and 40 more veteran residents are awaiting test results. NBC affiliate WWLP of Springfield reported the deaths at the Soldiers’ Home earlier Monday.
(The governor said a review by public health experts is underway.
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Superintendent Bennett Walsh was placed on paid administrative leave, and Val Liptak, the CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital, will take over administration of the Soldiers’ Home, state Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Dan Tsai said in a statement.
The department also put in place an “onsite clinical command team “of medical, epidemiological and other experts to respond to the outbreak.
Public health experts are at the @ HolyokeSOHO conducting a thorough review of the health status of staff and residents to appropriate plan next steps. # COVID (MA
– Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) (March) ,
The center offers residential care and operates a 700 -bed long-term nursing care facility, according to
its website .
Holyoke is a city of around , north of Springfield. The city’s mayor said he is heartbroken.
Phil Helsel
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