The ward has specially trained staff and access to it is set up to avoid those affected coming into contact with other patients.

"This ward will house laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients in need of a higher level of hospital treatment due to co-morbidity, but not level three, intensive care," said Peep Talving, PERH medical director, according to BNS.

"The newly created ward has 37 beds, nine of which are set aside for level two intensive care. Care is provided by a range of medical professionals -- doctors in internal medicine, nephrologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists and others -- as well as by nursing and care staff who have undergone specialized training and are ready to respond around the clock," Talving added.

Corridors to be used solely for coronavirus patients transported to and from the new ward and other relevant departments and back are also in place, Talving said.

"Caring for highly infectious patients requires very specific requirements and procedural rules regarding the use of personal protection equipment and  the movement and placement of patients. Our nursing and care staff have undergone special training, so as to not endanger themselves or their patients, and they are ready to treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19," director of nursing Aleksei Gaidajenko said.

Level three intensive care for coronavirus-positive patients is conducted in the PERH intensive care unit.

"Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who are in an extremely grave condition and require 24-hour monitoring and mechanical ventilation of the lungs are treated in the intensive care unit's private isolation rooms, equipped with negative room pressure and an anteroom," head of the hospital's intensive care department Kristo Erikson said.

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