After Grafton’s first death, COVID-19 cases climb to 48

Forty-eight Grafton residents are confirmed to have the COVID-19 virus as of Monday’s release of figures by the state Department of Public Health.

Grafton’s first case was reported on March 21 and its first known death from the virus, longtime resident and GCTV personality Rick Schultze, was reported over the weekend. DPH reports 36 percent of the cases are in the 30-49 age groups while 27 percent are in the 50-59 age group.

In the state, there are 56,462 confirmed cases, with 3,003 deaths since the first case was reported on Feb. 1. Worcester County has 4,744 cases and 215 deaths.

Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control reports 957,875 have been confirmed to have COVID-19, with 53,922 deaths. Worldwide, there are 2,858,635 cases and 196,295 deaths.