The Massachusetts attorney general is investigating the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, site of a deadly coronavirus outbreak, to find out what went wrong and whether legal action is needed.
As of Monday, 25 residents have died since March, including 18 who tested positive for Covid-19 and three more whose results are pending, according to CNN reporting.
Two employees of the home told CNN it was woefully unprepared for an outbreak, partly due to long-standing systemic issues such as short staffing.
Additionally, according to the employees and a union representative, a lack of personal protective equipment and the home’s recent decision to consolidate veterans into tighter quarters likely enhanced the outbreak at the facility.
Massachusetts Health and Human Services, which oversees the home, declined to respond to the union allegations despite repeated requests by CNN.
“My heart goes out to the families who lost loved ones under these tragic circumstances,” Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement.
The investigation is separate from Gov. Charlie Baker’s hiring of an attorney to investigate the deaths, along with management and organizational oversight at the home, Healey’s office said.
Her office is also in touch with the Department of Public Health about concerns at other facilities.
CNN’s Jay Croft and Leslie Tripp Holland contributed to this report.