BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday warned that the upcoming days “will be difficult” as the number of coronavirus cases in the state continues to climb at an alarming rate.
“Massachusetts continues to see extremely high levels of positive tests across the Commonwealth,” Baker said during a news conference at the State House. “All data continues to indicate that the days and weeks ahead will be difficult ones.”
On Monday, health officials announced 26,876 confirmed coronavirus cases, up from 25,475 cases on Sunday.
Since Friday, April 10, there has been an average of 1,500 new cases reported each day.
More than 340 of the state’s 844 virus-related deaths have also been reported in the last four days.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders explained Massachusetts is still in the “eye of the storm” and that the full impact of coronavirus won’t be known until next week.
Sudders added that about 50 percent of hospital beds across the state are occupied.
Based on models from Wuhan, China, Baker said last week that he expects cases to peak between April 10 and April 20.
“Is this going to last 10 days or two weeks?” Baker asked aloud. “I don’t know. I don’t know! What I know is we’ve done a lot to build the capacity to deal with it as it goes.”
All residents have been instructed to wear masks in public to help curb the spread of the highly contagious disease.
The state’s Coronavirus Command Center has been working to expand testing in the city of Chelsea, which has been deemed a “hot spot” for the disease, according to Baker.
Baker also said that mobile testing was expanded last week to include assisted living facilities. Since March 21, 3,700 tests have been collected at longterm healthcare facilities. Additional tests have been sent to dozens of other facilities that asked for them.
About 700,000 masks, 160,000 gowns, and two million gloves have been sent to hospitals, healthcare facilities, nursing homes, boards of health, and first responders since the start of the outbreak, Baker noted.
Baker also announced that the state has received 200 more ventilators from FEMA that will be distributed upon inspection.
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