A coronavirus outbreak at a Massachusetts health care facility that houses veterans has claimed the lives of five residents and six more are suspected of dying from the illness.
A total 11 other veterans residing at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home have tested positive for the virus, according to MassLive.com.
Twenty-five other veterans are awaiting their COVID-19 test results, and five staffers have already tested positive, the report said.
The rash of infections at the state-run facility led to the superintendent being placed on paid administrative leave Monday.
“It is imperative that the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home provides a safe environment for the veteran residents, and the dedicated staff who serve them,” said Dan Tsai, deputy secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services.
A team of medical experts was dispatched to the grounds to assist in the crisis and state officials have requested help from the National Guard, according to the news site.
The main building at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home houses 247 veterans. A separate dorm building has 30 rooms, according to MassLive.com. It’s unclear how many veterans were living there at the onset of the outbreak.
The facility has isolated residents who are believed to be infected. Workers possibly exposed were told to remain home, the report said.
As of Monday, Massachusetts has seen 5,752 cases of the coronavirus and 56 deaths from the illness, according to the state health department.