DEVASTATING

11 Veterans Die During Coronavirus Outbreak at Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke

Another 11 veterans and five staff members at the Massachusetts health-care facility have reportedly tested positive for the virus.

Eleven U.S. veterans have died at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke amid a coronavirus outbreak at the Massachusetts facility. Another 11 residents and five staff members tested positive for the virus, while 25 additional residents are waiting for test results, WBUR reports. The new numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases at the home come after the superintendent of the facility Bennett Walsh was placed on immediate administrative leave. It was not clear why Walsh was put on leave, but Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Dan Tsai said, “It is  imperative that the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home provides a safe environment for the veteran residents, and the dedicated staff who serve them.” Tsai added: “We have also implemented an onsite clinical command team comprised of medical, epidemiological, and operational experts responsible for the comprehensive and rapid response to the outbreak of COVID-19.”