Brookline Coronavirus: 16 Deaths At Senior Care Facilities

BROOKLINE, MA — Fourteen residents at CareOne nursing facility and two residents at the Goddard House assisted living home in Brookline have died. And another nursing home has reported more than 30 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Brookline Public Health Director.

The news of the deaths come as the number of people who tested positive for the coronavirus in Brookline rose to 228 on Thursday, and the total number of people who died because of complications related to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, rose to 16.

“We are aware of at least 45 positive cases of COVID-19 at CareOne in Brookline, out of 87 residents," said Brookline Health Director Dr. Swanni Jett. "Of the 16 Brookline residents who have died so far due to COVID-19, 14 were residents at CareOne."

Thirteen staff members have also been infected there.

“CareOne has been evaluated for infection control by Massachusetts General Hospital and passed the internal inspection. In addition, CareOne has agreed to continue weekly inspections for infection control while they admit new patients in response to the COVID-19 crisis," according to Jett.

Thursday, officials at the Goddard House where 13 people had tested positive earlier this week for the virus, alerted family members that two residents had passed away.

"We are incredibly saddened by these losses — our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their families during this difficult time," said Carolyn Sandel the facility's executive director in what has become a twice a week update including case numbers. "These numbers represent your family members, our beloved residents. We know them and we care deeply for them. Everything we are doing right now is for them."

Wingate at Chestnut Hill has somewhere between 10 and 30 people staying there who have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, according to state data. Jett confirmed to Patch Thursday evening that number rose to 31.

At Wingate's 135 bed nursing facility in Chestnut Hill, officials recently told family members and residents that there was at least one case at the facility and that that person had been isolated, according to a family member of someone who is staying at the facility.

Earlier, Jett said there were are about 50 people, including 12 staff members who had tested positive for the new coronavirus at CareOne at Brookline nursing facility in Coolidge Corner. And a representative for the Goddard House assisted living facility told Patch Wednesday that 13 residents and four staff members had tested positive after the National Guard helped test staff and residents there.

Of the 228 people who have tested positive for the virus in Brookline, at least 50 of them live at a congregant living facility in town.

The news comes the same day that some 3,000 more people tested positive for the virus across the state bringing the total number to 46,023. According to state data 195,076 people have gotten tested so far in Massachusetts. The number of people who have died because of the disease rose to 2,360 Thursday.

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Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).