Today Governor Baker announced that the administration will boost MassHealth hospital funding by $400 million, and distribute another $400 million among nursing homes, community health centers, and other providers in order to support up budgets that are straining under the demands of the crisis.
The peak of this pandemic in Massachusetts is expected to hit in the next two weeks. Residents are advised to be extra vigilant during this time and to stay home as much as possible.
The Holyoke Police Department will be initiating a community wide collection of personal hygiene items and sanitizing products for our senior citizens. This week, the Holyoke Police Department will be accepting donations at The Holyoke Council on Aging and Senior Center located at 291 Pine Street. Donations can be dropped off at the Holyoke Senior Citizen Center from April 6th thru April 10th between the hours of 10am and 2pm. If you are a resident of Holyoke and you are not leaving your home, you can still donate by calling the Holyoke Police Department’s non emergency number of 322-6900. We will arrange for a pickup during those same hours.
Suggested items for donation (all must be unopened and able to be wiped down):
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Tissues
- Personal hygiene products. (body wash, shampoo,soap,toothpaste,etc)
- Incontinence products
- Hand sanitizer
- Sanitizing wipes
- Any PPE (personal protection equipment)
Testing remains limited with a turnaround time of 4 – 8 days and many cases are being clinically diagnosed (no testing or reporting involved). All are advised to behave as though they are carriers of Covid-19.
155 Holyoke residents have been confirmed positive by testing.
997 confirmed cases in Hampden County (12% increase)
158 in Hampshire (7% increase)
118 in Franklin (10% increase)
278 in Berkshire county (4% increase)
The curve we need to flatten: County numbers graphed over time can be found here: https://www.wmasscovid.com/
There have been 365 deaths connected to Covid-19 in Massachusetts.
* When recovery counts become available and reported by the state, we will include those as well.