Holyoke

New Coronavirus Deaths at Mass. Soldiers' Home Brings Total to 32

Six others at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home also died but tested negative for the novel coronavirus

HOLYOKE, MA – APRIL 3: The parking lot is full and a tent sits outside of the Holyoke Soldier’s Home in Holyoke, MA on Apr. 3, 2020. State officials said Thursday that three more veterans had died at the Holyoke Soldiers Home, the site of the states largest fatal outbreak of the coronavirus. Eighteen people have now died since late March at the state-run home for veterans, at least 12 due to the virus. Tests on three other victims are pending; two tests were negative and one was inconclusive. (Photo by Erin Clark for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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State health officials on Sunday announced one new coronavirus related death at a home for U.S. veterans in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

The number of veteran deaths at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home has now climbed to 38, with 32 testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

State health officials said a total of 88 veteran residents have also tested positive for the disease, as have 78 employees.

This comes after the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced a joint investigation Friday to determine whether the residents were denied adequate medical care, one of several investigations into the facility in the wake of the outbreak.

Bennett Walsh, superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, was placed on administrative leave as a result of the deaths.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker visited the field hospital being built to house non-critical coronavirus patients at Worcester's DCU Arena and discussed the investigation into the coronavirus deaths at a soldiers' home in Holyoke.
AP/NBC
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