Lowell Field Hospital Shutting Down After Month Of Operation

Tewksbury MA

04 February, 2021

3:11 PM

Description

LOWELL, MA — The Lowell field hospital will close this week after a month of operations, Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday. The alternative care site, run by Lowell General and located in the UMass Lowell Recreation Center, accepted its first patient on Jan. 4 amid the holiday case surge. After weeks of falling coronavirus cases and positive test rates, the facility is "standing down" this week, the governor said. >>MA Increases Business Capacity Limits From 25 To 40 Percent This is the second time the hospital has shut down after a month of operations: it was first set up in April amid the virus's first wave in the state. The site was set up to treat recovering patients who needed additional care before they could be discharged, Lowell General said. The Worcester field hospital still has between 40 and 50 patients and "will stay with us for a while," Baker said Thursday. Baker also said Thursday that capacity limits for gyms, restaurants and other businesses will rise from 25 percent to 40 percent Monday. Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or [email protected].