For a state that is largely shut down, shut in, and starving for good news, this may be a start: Massachusetts appears to be descending from its coronavirus plateau.

Key statistics on COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, by which experts measure progress in the battle to contain the disease, are showing improvement.

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester has expanded the number of COVID-19 patients being treated with the blood plasma of someone who recovered from coronavirus.

The hospital has used so-called convalescent plasma to treat at least three patients, including one who was treated with the plasma from UMass Memorial's chief of colorectal surgery, Dr. Justin Maykel. Dr. Jonathan Gerber, the medical director of the UMass Memorial Cancer Center, is leading the program in partnership with the American Red Cross.

As parents around the country cancel well-child checkups to avoid coronavirus exposure, public health experts fear they are inadvertently sowing the seeds of another health crisis. Immunizations are dropping at a dangerous rate, putting millions of children at risk for measles, whooping cough and other life-threatening illnesses.

UMass Memorial Health Care in Worcester will receive a $120,000 grant from the Trustees of The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation of Boston, to be earmarked for implementing telemedicine technology in light of the coronavirus pandemic, the healthcare provider announced on Tuesday.

The healthcare provider hopes to prioritize spending on telemedicine for the pediatric intensive care unit, emergency services and equipping primary response areas with telemedicine tools.

UMass Memorial Medical Center is starting on Monday a new program requiring employees to report before each shift through an app whether they have a new cough, shortness of breath or fever.

The new self-monitoring program is the latest health safety measure by UMass Memorial, which has already required employees to wear a mask throughout their shift and to be monitored washing their hands when arriving at work. Those wearing N95 masks are also asked not to wear make-up because it makes them unable to be used again.

You can hear the pride and empathy in the voice of Dr. Michael Gustafson, when he speaks about the nurses, doctors and other medical staff at UMass Memorial Medical Center who are working relentlessly to care for hundreds of people who have COVID-19, the highly contagious and deadly disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Less than two months ago, when Ron Gigliotti, a paramedic, would respond to a 911 call, he would go running into a home to help a screaming child who may have broken a leg, or an elderly person having a heart attack, or to a serious car crash.

Now, he and other paramedics and emergency medical technicians rely on dispatchers for UMass Memorial Emergency Medical Services to ask more questions of callers regarding symptoms of COVID-19 to make sure they have all their personal protective equipment on appropriately before rushing to the scene.

As the COVID-19 pandemic started to permeate through the community, Worcester city officials and medical professionals realized there would need to be specific plans designed to help members of the homeless population who end up testing positive.

Worcester EMS found a solution in a transport van.

For intensive care nurse Elizabeth Phelan, and others at UMass Memorial Health Care, its one day at a time right now.

“We keep telling ourselves this is not how it’s going to be forever, this will all end eventually, and we will get back to normal eventually, we just have to take it day by day,” said Phelan.

In response to the fighting spirit of health care employees like Phelan, more than 30 cities and towns joined forces to help with the tough days in a massive show of support.