WORCESTER, Mass. - Worcester's DCU center will be filled with 240 hospital beds by the first week in December. 

Governor Charlie Baker made the announcement on Friday. Baker says the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are going in the wrong direction. 

Baker said, "People need to change their behavior and get serious about who they spend time with and how they act. The innocent act of small gatherings is where COVID is finding its greatest opportunity to spread." 

Baker says Massachusetts hospitals are at 73 percent capacity overall with ICUs filled at half capacity. Meanwhile, UMass Memorial in Worcester is full. 

Dr. Eric Dickson, UMass Memorial’s President and CEO, said, “We, right now, are starting to cancel elective procedures at some level and are not able to take the referrals from the hospitals that depend on us.”

However, UMass Memorial staff will again operate theDCU Center field hospital. The National Guard will help set it up. 

"Once again, I will have to ask our caregivers to rise to the occasion and to take care of our communities when they need us most,” Dr. Dickson said.

The state is also looking at setting up other field hospital sites once again. Meanwhile, Governo Baker is asking people to continue to wear masks and get tested.