All residents and staff in an Ostend nursing home are being tested for the new coronavirus (Covid-19) again, after two new infections were detected this week.
The De Boarebreker nursing home in Ostend tested four residents who showed symptoms compatible with Covid-19 on Wednesday.
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Two out of the four residents have tested positive so far and were put in a separate wing of the 156-bed residential care centre.
The home has also put all residents who have come into contact with the infected patients into isolation and decided to screen all staff and residents of the home.
Last week, 17 residents and 17 staff members of the home had tested positive for the virus, a new outbreak which local councillor John Crombez said could have been avoided if a second screening round had been held at the start of May.
Regional health agencies, who had initially refused to send test kits to the home, will now be sending part of some 90 kits for the home to carry out the new testing round.
All staff will be tested for the virus on Friday, after all residents were tested on Thursday, according to HLN.
Last week, another rest home in Antwerp also reported a new outbreak among residents, with over two dozen residents confirmed infected with the virus, one of whom had to be hospitalised.
The news comes after a decision by the National Security Council led regional authorities to give the green light to nursing homes to open back to visits from 18 May.
The De Boarebreker nursing home was set to resume visits on 3 June.
The Brussels Times
