7 COVID-19 Fatalities, 21 Residents Positive, and 19 Staff Positive at Ashland Facility

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ASHLAND – Seven residents from the Waterview Lodge Rehabilitation & Healthcare facility have died from COVID-19 or complications from the virus, according to the Town of Ashland.

This is up from the 3 deaths reported by Source in mid-April at the Route 135 facility.

On April 25, the owner sent an email to families to say six residents have died.

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The Massachusetts National Guard was at the facility on Wednesday, April 22, to test residents, but did not test staff.

Today, May 6, the Town of Ashland said there are 21 residents who tested positive for the virus, of which 7 have died from the virus. Two individuals are still hospitalized and two individuals have recovered, according to town officials.

In 2016, Indira Desai, president and CEO of Laxmi Corporation and Resident Care Rehabilitation & Nursing Care opened the 103-bed Waterview Lodge Rehabilitation & Healthcare facility at 250 West Union Street in Ashland.

There are 19 staff who have tested positive for the coronavirus, of which 10 have recovered and nine staffers are on leave.

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In April, the Ashland Board of Health voted to mandate that staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities be tested for the COVID-19 virus.

The Ashland Board of Health was the first community in the state to do this said Ashland Town manager Michael Herbert.

“When COVID-19 gets into one of these facilities, it is really hard to get it out,” said Herbert, who added there is a hypothesis that is what is bringing the virus into these senior facilities is not the residents but the staff.

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The Town of Ashland has had 145 positive coronavirus cases as of May 6, since the pandemic began.

WaterVeiw Lodge is a 52,000 square foot healthcare facility on the Ashland-Hopkinton line provides individuals with orthopedic, stroke, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services in private and semi-private rooms. The 4-story facility also provides long-term care unit for residents who are no longer able to manage on their own.