{"id":17103,"date":"2020-06-25T11:43:37","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T11:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:51:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:51:42","slug":"report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The leadership of a home for aging veterans in Massachusetts where&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/e78173249b9c2cb327fc5da02fd8acad\">nearly 80 residents sickened with the coronavirus have died<\/a>&nbsp;packed dementia patients into a crowded unit as the virus spread, one of several \u201cutterly baffling\u201d decisions that helped the disease run rampant, investigators said in a report released Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers\u2019 Home was not qualified to run a long-term care facility and \u201csubstantial errors and failures\u201d he and his team made likely contributed to the high death toll there, investigators found. Among them was a decision prompted by staffing shortages to combine two locked dementia units, both of which already housed some residents with the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRather than isolating those with the disease from those who were asymptomatic \u2014 a basic tenet of infection control \u2014 the consolidation of these two units resulted in more than 40 veterans crowded into a space designed to hold 25. This overcrowding was the opposite of infection control; instead, it put those who were asymptomatic at even greater risk of contracting COVID-19,\u201d the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mass.gov\/doc\/report-to-governor-baker-re-holyoke-soldiers-home\/download\">report said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a social worker raised concerns about the move, the chief nursing officer said \u201cit didn\u2019t matter because (the veterans) were all exposed anyway and there was not enough staff to cover both units,\u201d the report said. One staffer who helped move the dementia patients told investigators she felt like she was \u201cwalking (the veterans) to their death.\u201d A nurse said the packed dementia unit looked \u201clike a battlefield tent where the cots are all next to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the virus took hold, leadership shifted from trying to prevent its spread, \u201cto preparing for the deaths of scores of residents,\u201d the report said. On the day the veterans were moved, more than a dozen additional body bags were sent to the combined dementia unit, investigators said. The next day, a refrigerated truck to hold bodies that wouldn\u2019t fit in the home\u2019s morgue arrived, the report said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since March 1, 76 veterans who contracted COVID-19 at the home have died, officials said. Another 84 veterans and more than 80 staff have also tested positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first veteran tested positive March 17. Even though he had been showing symptoms for weeks, staff \u201cdid nothing to isolate\u201d him until his test came back positive, allowing him to remain with three roommates, wander the unit and spend time in a common room, investigators said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An attorney for the superintendent, Bennett Walsh, said they dispute many of the investigation\u2019s findings and are \u201cdisappointed that the report contains many baseless accusations that are immaterial to the issues under consideration.\u201d The lawyer said in an emailed statement that \u201cWalsh reached out for help when the crisis erupted\u201d and sought National Guard assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe failure of the Commonwealth to affirmatively respond to that request contributed to many of the problems outlined in the report,\u201d the attorney, William Bennett, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Walsh was placed on administrative leave March 30 and the CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital, Val Liptak, took over operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Susan Kenney, whose 78-year-old father died in April after contracting the virus at the home, said she was horrified as she read details about veterans being denied basic care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAction needs to be taken,\u201d said Kenney, the daughter of Air Force veteran Charlie Lowell. \u201cWe want this to never happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report said officials with the Department of Veterans Services were aware of Walsh\u2019s \u201cshortcomings,\u201d but failed to do enough about it. The chief of staff for Secretary of Veterans\u2019 Services Francisco Urena told investigators they thought Walsh was \u201cin over his head\u201d and did not spend enough time at the home. But Urena allowed Walsh to remain in his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Urena told reporters late Tuesday he was asked to resign ahead of the release of the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m very sorry,\u201d Urena told WCVB-TV. \u201cI tried my best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who hired former federal prosecutor Mark Pearlstein to conduct the investigation, called the details in the report \u201cnothing short of gut-wrenching.\u201d Baker acknowledged that his administration did not properly oversee Holyoke or the home\u2019s superintendent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe loss of life is difficult to even think or speak about. The events that took place at the Holyoke Soldiers\u2019 Home in March are truly horrific and tragic,\u201d Baker told reporters at a news conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is also investigating to determine if legal action is warranted, she said. And the U.S. attorney\u2019s office in Massachusetts and Department of Justice\u2019s Civil Rights Division are looking into whether the home violated residents\u2019 rights by failing to provide them proper medical care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Utterly baffling\u201d decisions helped COVID-19 run rampant at a Massachusetts veterans home where dozens died, report says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":39011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[61,101,23,89,12,26,62,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3054],"class_list":["post-17103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coronavirus","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"NE4D5TAUDZHNNOWNCQNPQ7X6WY","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"&quot;Utterly baffling\u201d decisions helped COVID-19 run rampant at a Massachusetts veterans home where dozens died, report says.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&quot;Utterly baffling\u201d decisions helped COVID-19 run rampant at a Massachusetts veterans home where dozens died, report says.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-06-25T11:43:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T05:51:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-06-25T11:43:37+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T05:51:42+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 773,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Coronavirus | COVID-19 Updates\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\",\n\t                \"Veterans\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2020-06-25T11:43:37+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T05:51:42+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"\\\"Utterly baffling\u201d decisions helped COVID-19 run rampant at a Massachusetts veterans home where dozens died, report says.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2020\\\/06\\\/25\\\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Veterans\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"veterans\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak - Navy Times","description":"\"Utterly baffling\u201d decisions helped COVID-19 run rampant at a Massachusetts veterans home where dozens died, report says.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak","og_description":"\"Utterly baffling\u201d decisions helped COVID-19 run rampant at a Massachusetts veterans home where dozens died, report says.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2020-06-25T11:43:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T05:51:42+00:00","author":"Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak","datePublished":"2020-06-25T11:43:37+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T05:51:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/"},"wordCount":773,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Coronavirus | COVID-19 Updates","Daily News Roundup","Home","Middle Column","News","Newsletters","Pentagon &amp; Congress","Veterans"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/","name":"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2020-06-25T11:43:37+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T05:51:42+00:00","description":"\"Utterly baffling\u201d decisions helped COVID-19 run rampant at a Massachusetts veterans home where dozens died, report says.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2020\/06\/25\/report-baffling-errors-at-veterans-home-where-76-died-amid-covid-19-outbreak\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Veterans","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/","ad_zone":"veterans"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Report: \u2018Baffling\u2019 errors at veterans home where 76 died amid COVID-19 outbreak"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/VetsHomeDeaths.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17103"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17108,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17103\/revisions\/17108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17103"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=17103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}