Coronavirus In Newton: Deaths Rise To 12

NEWTON, MA — The number of deaths related to the new coronavirus rose to 12 as of Wednesday, and 256 residents had tested positive for COVID-19, up from 78 the day before, the city announced.

Some 44 percent of the Newton residents who have tested positive live in senior housing of some type, the city announced. Of the 78 new cases being reported Wednesday, 88 percent of those are people who live in a senior housing facility, according to city officials.

The spike in cases in Newton comes as the state heads into what Gov. Charlie Baker described as a surge. As of Wednesday the number of people who had tested positive across the commonwealth rose to 16,790. The state reported 433 deaths.

Baker has been citing models that show an expected influx in COVID-19 patients between April 10-April 20. On Wednesday, Baker said the state is still on an "upward slope of this pandemic." And while he indicated social distancing measures could be helping to flatten the curve, there is a long way to go. "This is not a time to get complacent," he said.

On Wednesday officials at Benchmark Senior Living, which owns the Assisted Living Home Falls at Cordingly Dam in Newton confirmed to Patch that five residents there passed away after contracting the new coronavirus, and an additional 46 other residents and staff have also tested positive there.

Congregate living settings have become an accelerator for the virus, even with heightened prevention and infection control efforts taking place there. Residents in nursing homes and veterans' homes are generally more vulnerable to complications and the close-proximity to one another makes it easier to spread.

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said the city is working to get more people at nursing homes, and senior living centers tested.

Officials recommend staying at home in doors unless absolutely necessary during the stay-at-home advisory that is in effect until at least May 4. If you do need to go out for groceries, health officials now recommend wearing some kind of face protection - from a scarf to a mask - to help slow the spread of the virus. Officials recommend washing your hands after being out and to keep your hands away from your face.

READ MORE ON THIS: Newton Assisted Living Home: 5 Coronavirus Deaths, 46 Infected

MA Coronavirus Updates: Worst Still To Come As Surge Nears

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).