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A TURLEY PUBLICATION ❙ www.turley.com [email protected] www.sun.turley.com City-business partnership Virus sweeps through Soldiers’ Home taking survey The city of Holyoke, State investigating, supt. in partnership with the on leave as 15 residents Greater Holyoke Chamber die, more are infected of Commerce and EforAll Holyoke, is working on By Peter Spotts ways to help business- [email protected] es stay open, reopen and adapt to the economic The Covid-19 pandem- hardships wrought by the ic hit home hard last weekend coronavirus pandemic. as more than a dozen veterans The partnership is died in the Holyoke Soldiers’ holding virtual meetings Home, with the coronavirus daily and is researching, ripping through the building on seeking out resources, and Cherry Street. helping to develop coor- As of April 1, the state was dinated responses to best investigating 15 deaths at the address the major needs of state-operated assisted living our local business owners. facility, with six of those hav- To assist in this effort, ing tested positive for Covid- officials are conducting 19, six additional tests pending, a survey specifically for and one unknown. An addition- Holyoke businesses. This American flags form an impromptu memorial to victims of Covid-19 at the Cherry Street entrance to the al 11 residents and seven staff Holyoke Soldiers’ Home this week. Photo by Michael Ballway survey is meant to better members had also tested posi- understand where gaps tive for the virus. All residents deserve better, frankly.” have been isolated and employ- the situation will get worse have been tested, with results He added later in his state- ees have been advised to quar- before it gets better,” Morse SURVEY, 7 expected after The Sun went to ment, “I just can’t imagine antine until they are asymp- said. “I’m glad that the state is press. the pain and grief that many tomatic. Families of residents now taking swift action to pro- A somber Mayor Alex of these families are feeling. who have a positive Covid-19 tect the most vulnerable among Morse addressed the city on It’s already tough to lose a love test have been notified. While us.” Facebook Live on Tuesday one, but without being able to Morse found about the situa- One of those actions was to provide residents with the visit, to grieve or mourn in a tion after deaths had already to place former Superintendent details of what happened. traditional setting … just adds occurred, he’s hopeful that the Bennett Walsh on paid admin- “At the onset, this is an a different level of pain to peo- swift action taken by the state istrative leave and put Val important reminder of how ple impacted and we want to in the wake of the news will Liptak, CEO of Western deadly coronavirus can be if do our part to stand with you help contain the situation. Massachusetts Hospital in we don’t follow proper pro- and support you in any way we “I do think the actions Westfield, in charge of the cedures and protocol,” Morse can.” taken over the last couple of Soldiers’ Home. An investi- said. “These are people that The Executive Office of days will save lives in the com- gation is being conducted to gave their all, risked their lives Health and Human Services ing days and coming weeks, to protect all of us and the said in a statement all residents but I think we have to expect See SOLDIERS, page 11 Christina Royal College leader pledges $10K for Hospitals on front lines of coronavirus fight Churches staying ‘Together HCC’ By Dalton Zbierski which are being navigated on At Holyoke Medical connected online Holyoke Community and Melina Bourdeau a daily basis. Center, one patient was being By Shelby Macri College President Christina [email protected] As of March 25, through- treated for Covid-19 as of [email protected] Royal has issued a person- out Baystate Health, 835 indi- March 23, but no nurses were al $10,000 challenge gift While patients fight a war viduals have been tested; 373 on self-quarantine at that time. Church buildings may be toward a new HCC cam- against Covid-19, medical per- have come back negative; 52 Baystate Medical Center closed due to the coronavi- paign that is as much about sonnel roam the front lines. positive and 410 are still pend- in Springfield has construct- rus, but Holyoke’s pastors are building moral support in a Medical professionals ing results. ed a temporary rapid-response finding ways to keep the city’s time of great uncertainty as at Baystate hospitals in the Cooley Dickinson had triage facility outside the faith communities together. it is about raising money for region, Cooley Dickinson issued 14 positive tests for Emergency Department as a With two of the biggest students experiencing finan- Hospital in Northampton and Covid-19 and was in the pro- result of the demands creat- services of the year coming cial distress. Holyoke Medical Center each cess of investigating 92 addi- ed by the coronavirus pan- up over the next two week- face a similar set of issues tional people, as of the same demic, according to Michelle ends — Palm Sunday and HCC, 5 caused by the pandemic, date. Holmgren, of Baystate Health. Easter — members of the “These are designed to handle city’s Christian congregations some 30 to 40 patients; the tri- have had to adjust to worship- Let’s see your age area will serve as a rapid, ing online, using some of the stories, photos of initial screening venue for same technology that students staff to identify those patients and telecommuters are using staying at home of most immediate need.” to get their work done during The Holyoke Sun Neither Holyoke or the week. wants to know how you’re Cooley Dickinson have trans- Pastor Phil Gustafson of coping with the corona- formed their waiting rooms St. Peter’s Lutheran Church virus closures and how into triage units and both are said he’s been hosting virtu- they’ve changed all of strictly sticking to protocols al worships online, upload- our lives — no school, no handed down by the federal ing videos to YouTube.com work, social distancing and Centers for Disease Control. and broadcasting services live staying at home. In order to meet the grow- with the teleconferencing site We can’t meet our ing number of cases at each Zoom. neighbors in the school- hospital, various safety mea- “I leave the Zoom room yards, playing fields or sures have been implemented. open for a time after the video workplaces of Holyoke, Inside Cooley Dickinson is over so that people can have At the Holyoke Medical Center, one patient was being treated for hospital, visitors have been a chance to talk and connect SHARE, 4 Covid-19 as of March 23, but no nurses were on self-quarantine at that time. Photo by Dalton Zbierski See HOSPITALS page 16 See CHURCHES, page 11 ◗ In The News Gov. extends stay-home advisory, business closures to May 4 BOSTON — On March 31, Gov. than 10 people until May 4. nor announced Tuesday that the adviso- Center in Worcester this week. This Charlie Baker announced several A new version of the essential ser- ry will remain in effect. Residents are temporary facility will be managed by updates related to the Covid-19 out- vices list was released, adding: advised to stay home and avoid unneces- UMass-Memorial Medical Center and break, including extending the non-es- • Supply chain businesses that sup- sary travel and other unnecessary person staffed by a partnership including the sential business emergency order and port essential services to person contact during this time peri- city of Worcester and others. The tempo- guidance for state executive branch • Certain health care specialists such od. Residents who are considered at high rary field medical center will be used to employees until May 4. as chiropractors and optometrists risk when exposed to Covid-19 should treat lower-acuity patients who still need The Department of Public Health’s • Additional types of workers that limit social interactions with other peo- monitoring. stay-at-home advisory remains in effect. provide disinfectant and sanitation ser- ple as much as possible. Nursing and Rest Homes: The Baker also updated the state’s essential vices Executive Branch Employees: All state is implementing a pilot project services list to add sectors of industry While these businesses are designat- state employees performing non-core that allows for safe, on-site testing of and commerce that provide essential ser- ed as essential, they are urged to follow functions who are able to work remotely symptomatic residents of nursing and vices and can keep their brick-and-mor- social distancing protocols for workers should continue to do so until May 4. rest homes, with a quick turnaround. tar facilities open during the emergency. in accordance with guidance from the Full guidance will be sent to state exec- The pilot will operate under the auspices Essential Services: Baker’s emer- Department of Public Health. utive branch employees directly. Some of the Massachusetts National Guard gency order requiring that all businesses Hotels and Motels: DPH also executive branch services and walk-in in partnership with the Department of and organizations that do not provide issued new guidance around hotels, offices remain open, but residents are Public Health and Broad Institute of essential services close their physical motels, inns, bed-and-breakfasts and encouraged to use online services when Cambridge, and samples will be col- workplaces and facilities to workers, other short-term residential rentals.