Holyoke Soldiers' Home superintendent Bennett Walsh is speaking out after a spate of resident deaths caused related to the coronavirus.
So far, eight out of fifteen recent veteran deaths at the facility have been confirmed to have been related to COVID-19; the state is investigating.
Walsh says he was notified a veteran had tested positive for the virus for the first time on March 21st, and the next day, he says his staff called the family of every veteran at the home to inform them; afterwards, he says regular updates were provided to state officials.
"Thereafter we provided regular updates to state officials about the number of tests and the results of the testing. We were all frustrated that the test results were often not available for 3 or 4 days and there was a delay between the time of death and confirmation of the presence of the Coronavirus. I regret any uncertainty that such delays produced."
Walsh says at no time did he or anyone on his staff hide, conceal, or mislead anyone regarding the tragic impact of the virus.
(Photo Credit: John Baibak, WHYN News)