Updated at 8:37 p.m.
As testing in the state ramps up, the number of cases of the new coronavirus in Massachusetts jumped to 328, an increase of 72 from Wednesday.
For the first time, the daily report includes a case in Hampshire County. Berkshire County's total is now 18 and Hampden County is at three — an increase of one case each.
Franklin County held steady at a single patient, which had been announced Wednesday.
In Connecticut, the number of positive cases was 159, and increase of 63 over Wednesday. There are now 18 cases in Hartford County and seven in Litchfield County.
In Vermont, the number of cases increased by three, to 22. Maine now has 52 cases, up from 42 Wednesday.
In New Hampshire, cases increased by 5, to 44. That's the same number of cases as in Rhode Island, which saw a jump of 11 from Wednesday.
New England sees first deaths from COVID-19, in Connecticut and Vermont
A 91-year-old New Canaan man was the second Connecticut resident to die from COVID-19, officials said Thursday. According to The Hartford Courant, New Canaan First Selectman Kevin Moynihan said the man died at Norwalk Hospital.
Late Thursday afternoon, the governor's office announced a third death due to complications from COVID-19: a man in his 80s, who was also from New Canaan. The governor's office said both New Canaan men were living in private homes.
State officials said the first Connecticut resident to die from COVID-19 was an 88-year-old man who lived in an assisted living facility in Ridgefield. He had been receiving treatment at Danbury Hospital.
On Thursday evening, Vermont officials announced two elderly residents who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.
One was a Windsor County man who was treated at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in White River Junction, and one was a woman who lived at the Burlington Health and Rehab nursing home. Both were “very elderly" according to the state's health comissioner.
“There is no doubt this is sad for all of us, but it’s not unexpected news,” Gov. Phil Scott said.
Drive-through testing underway at a hospital parking lot in Hartford
Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford is among health providers in the state offering drive-through testing for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 illness. Public health experts say this will help identify more people who are likely infected and give a better idea of the scale of the outbreak.
Drive-through testing is mostly limited to people who have a prescription or test order from an active health provider in the community.
Dr. Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, an infectious disease specialist at Saint Francis, told WNPR that people should call ahead to their health providers, who will determine if they need a test based on symptoms and possible exposure.
CVS to pilot COVID-19 testing in Shrewsbury
The CVS pharmacy chain is expected to start a pilot COVID-19 drive-through testing site at one of its stores in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, on Thursday. A large tent was set up for the testing in a CVS parking lot Wednesday.
The testing is not available to the general public. The tests will be available only for first responders and health care workers who have scheduled appointments.
Goal: increase testing for COVID-19 in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a goal of conducting a minimum of 3,500 coronavirus tests each day, Baker said Thursday, and is on track to get to that level through "an enormous increase" in testing capacity by early next week.
Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, who is also in charge of the state's Coronavirus Command Center, said the 3,500-a-day number is based on looking at South Korean models and projecting what would be needed in the state. She said testing priority will be given to health care workers and first responders.
U.S. Small Business Administration disaster declaration in Massachusetts
Massachusetts business owners will have until December 18, 2020, to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration. That’s after the agency approved Governor Charlie Baker's request for a disaster declaration and assistance. SBA assistance will be available throughout the state and in contiguous counties of neighboring states, according to Baker's office.
Small businesses, private nonprofits, small agricultural operations and small aquaculture enterprises that have taken a financial hit since January 31 as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic may qualify for the loans of up to $2 million. The loans carry an interest rate of 3.75 percent for small businesses, and 2.75 percent for nonprofits. Separately, the state has launched a $10 million recovery loan fund for small businesses.
Some colleges will keep paying work-study students
Students across the country have not just lost access to in-person classes, but also to their work-study jobs. Work-study jobs are offered as part of financial aid packages, and the federal government has said institutions can continue to pay students during the COVID-19 crisis, even if they're not on campus.
UMass junior Isabelle Eastman had to leave her library job when classes ended, and she hasn't heard whether she'll still get paid.
Medical reserves seek volunteers in Massachusetts
Public health officials are recruiting volunteers for the Massachusetts Medical Reserve Corps to help with the coronavirus response. Western Massachusetts coordinator Carmela Lanza-Weil said volunteers will only take on tasks that allow for social distance.
“They are helping manage traffic at the drive through testing sites at hospitals,” she said. “They're manning phone centers where the public can call in and ask questions... and they provide them with the correct answers.”
Volunteers may also deliver medical supplies to first responders, she said, and could soon help set up a new quarantine center for people without a place to go. Lanza-Weil said medical skills are not necessary, but volunteers do need to take a few online trainings and get a criminal background check.
NEPR’s Heather Brandon, Karen Brown, Adam Frenier and Sam Hudzik contributed to this report, which includes information from State House News Service, VPR, WBUR, WNPR and The Associated Press.
