Danvers Coronavirus: 40% Infection Rate At Group Home

DANVERS, MA — The Massachusetts Nurses Association said 40 percent of residents at the Hogan Regional Center in Danvers have tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The union also said at least 55 staff members at the home for people with developmental disabilities tested positive for COVID-19 and the facility is struggling to keep personal protective equipment supplies stocked.

The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Disabilities has not released case counts for the individual group homes it oversees. Statewide, the department's facilities serve about 10,000 people.

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As of Tuesday, there were 190 confirmed coronavirus cases in Danvers, putting the town at a rate of 665.36 cases per 100,000 residents. That put the town in the top 10 percent of infection rates in Massachusetts.

Town officials attributed the high rate of infections to the large number of nursing homes in Danvers. In a conference call with other town officials Friday, Danvers Public Health Director Mark L. Carleo said 65 percent of coronavirus cases in Danvers were in the town's nursing homes.

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Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).