Chelmsford Coronavirus Cases Rise Above 300

CHELMSFORD, MA — The number of people who have tested positive in Chelmsford for the coronavirus has risen above 300, according to town data.

As of Tuesday, May 26, some 307 people tested positive for the virus that causes the COVID-19 illness. Of those, 64 of cases are still active. It's not clear how many people in Chelmsford have died related to the virus, unlike a number of other communities the town is not releasing that data.

At least 29 residents at the Palm Center, a senior living facility in town died because of complications related to COVID-19, that it causes, the Globe reported at the beginning of the month. Dozens of other residents and workers also tested positive, including one of the center's social workers,Catherine Drouin, 69, of Methuen. She worked as a social worker at the Palm Center nursing home for more than 20 years when she died April 27.

Out of 294 towns and 57 cities in the state, Chelmsford was at the top 100 municipalities hit hardest by the virus, with the 56th most cases. Boston was in first place followed by Worcester, according to weekly town by town data the state releases.

The Department of Public Health said Tuesday there were only 422 new cases that day, bringing the state's total to 93,693. There were also 57 more deaths reported, meaning 6,473 lives have been lost due to the coronavirus. The daily fatalities have remained under 100 for six straight days, pointing to a positive trend.

That trend is seen in Chelmsford, too:

Last week Gov. Charlie Baker outlined the state's plans to have a phased reopening for businesses. He and health officials stressed the need to continue to maintain distancing and sanitization protocols so that a second wave of the virus didn't hit the state.

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