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On Jan. 7, 2021, the U.S. hit another grim milestone, for the first time recording over 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 and over 4,000 deaths from the infection in one day.

Doctors at hospitals across Massachusetts – and the globe – believe the measures being taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus are responsible.

With children in Massachusetts continuing to learn remotely, full- or part-time, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, physicians have noticed concerning declines in students’ mental health.

Officials at a field hospital in Massachusetts say they are concerned as a post-holiday spike in COVID cases nears.

As of the start of the new year, roughly 60 patients were being treated for coronavirus at the DCU Center in Worcester, where the director of operations says they are already seeing more volume than they ever saw last spring.

UMass Memorial Health Care has posted a $15 million operating surplus for 2020, crediting federal funding and caregivers with reversing two straight years of operating losses.

“We are extremely grateful to our 14,000 caregivers who have spent the past 10 months inside our hospitals, community practices, and out in the community helping the people in central Massachusetts fight a global pandemic,” a statement from UMass Memorial Health Care President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson and Chief Financial Officer Sergio Melgar said Tuesday.

Dr. Eric Dickson, CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care, on how the DCU field hospital is filling up with Covid patients, and the status of Covid vaccinations (1:12:51)

UMass Memorial Health Care and Harrington Health Care System, seeking to become officially affiliated, have taken another step forward in the process by filing with state regulatory agencies.

The health care systems have jointly submitted the first in a series of required filings for UMass Memorial to become the parent company of Harrington, UMass Memorial said in a statement Tuesday. This would make Harrington Hospital, system employees and the medical group members of the UMass Memorial Health Care system.

Healthcare workers are no strangers to skipping traditions with family to work a holiday. In 2020, it’s a different experience, especially for those working on COVID-19 floors in hospitals.

“It’s pretty tough in here today,” nurse Shannon Lora told WBZ over Zoom from the CCU at HealthAlliance Hospital in Leominster.

“It’s a horrible day here actually. We have a lot of very sick patients. We have a couple of people dying. It has not been a very good day.”

"If Christmas is as bad as Thanksgiving, we're going to see a compounding of bad on top of bad," said Dr. Dickson to CBSN Boston's Anna Meiler.