(AP) – Long-term care facilities in Massachusetts accounted for nearly 60% of all coronavirus-related deaths in the state, one of the highest publicly reported rates in the country.
Citing data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, The Boston Globe reports Rhode Island appears to have the highest rate in the nation, at about 71%, followed by Massachusetts.
About 41,000 people are living in nursing and rest homes in Massachusetts.
“If you have someone in the nursing home, you are just holding your breath,” said Elizabeth Dugan, associate professor of gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
State data shows that at least 67% of the state’s 476 long-term care facilities have reported infections.
A Walmart in Worcester was closed after 81 employees tested positive for the coronavirus. On Saturday the store remained temporarily closed as city officials completed tests of the store’s nearly 400 employees.
The store was shut on Wednesday.
A Walmart spokesperson said the store was slated for a one-day closure on Thursday as part of a company-initiated program of cleaning and restocking.
Initial plans called for reopening the store on Friday, but the company is working with Worcester officials to ensure that all the necessary steps are taken before reopening.
A July convention of the NAACP planned for Boston has been postponed because of the coronavirus. Boston chapter president Tanisha M. Sullivan said she expects the convention will be held eventually, but worries about the virus meant it could not take place as originally planned.
On Sunday, Massachusetts reported 158 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths related to COVID-19 to more than 4,000.
