3 corners of COVID care in Worcester making positive progress

WORCESTER, Mass. — UMass Memorial Medical Center will double the number of vaccines they deliver daily from 300 to 600. Lines at the COVID-19 testing site inside the Mercantile Center were the shortest they have ever been Monday. The field hospital at the DCU Center has just four coronavirus patients left.

“It feels so good to see this progress,” said Candy Szymanski, the clinical supervisor of UMass Memorial’s Front Street Vaccination Site.

Inside the Mercantile Center in Worcester, more and more Pfizer vaccines are getting filled for people receiving their first and second doses with UMass Memorial Medical Center. The Reinbolds from Leominster are now fully vaccinated and looking forward to a much-needed vacation on the Cape.

Next door at the COVID-19 testing site, it was a walk-up service with no line at 1 p.m. on Monday.

“We are going down for vacation because last year we had to cancel, so we are looking forward to the beach and some sun,” said Charlotte Reinbold.

“It was a year ago that we sort of went into lockdown, things got a little better this summer and then started over again this fall. This time it feels a little bit different,” Szymanski said.

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It’s a long way from the long lines many experienced through the last year.

“I think we are getting back to normal, that’s what I hear from friends and family members as well. Taking the vaccine is really very important nowadays,” said Gouthan Suda from Shrewsbury.

Right now, forward momentum with one short-term hurdle to watch.

“I’m a little concerned about spring break, we’ll see what impact that has, but it definitely feels much better,” Szymanski said.

The DCU field hospital in Worcester will close on the 15th. It won’t be completely shut down, instead, it will become a “warm” site, in case there is a spike in cases after spring break.

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