47 Veteran Deaths Reported At Holyoke Soldiers Home In Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak
HOLYOKE (CBS) – The coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers Home is one of the deadliest in the U.S. Forty-seven veterans have now died.
Of those who have died, 38 tested positive for the coronavirus, eight tested negative and one is still unknown. In total, 99 veterans have now tested positive for COVID-19, and 76 veterans have tested negative. Three veterans have pending tests.
Of the staff at the home, 79 have tested positive and 221 employees have tested negative.
The home recently received 50,000 surgical masks and 1,000 gowns from the Department of Public Health. The Massachusetts National Guard has brought in additional staff to help care for veterans who are still at the home.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, the Baker Administration and Attorney General Maura Healey have each launched separate investigations into the outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers Home.
The federal investigation will look at whether the home violated residents' rights by failing to give them adequate medical care.
The superintendent of the home, Bennett Walsh, has been placed on leave. He said he notified the state about the outbreak right away but Holyoke's mayor and the governor said they were not properly updated about how fast the numbers were rising.
