According to the Health Board Western division head Kadri Juhkam, residents and employees who have been in close contact with the infected are being tested and necessary additional safety measures shall be imposed.

"We are in constant contact with the nursing home and are identifying the people who have been in close contact with the infected," Juhkam said. The premises will be disinfected and the movement of the 40 residents will be restricted until test results have come back, she added.

"On the basis of advice from the Health Board, we started testing our residents and employees, the latter of whom all tested negative. One resident displayed symptoms and we asked to test two residents who had been in close contact with them," director of Saaremaa Südamekodu Piret Pihel said.

"Two residents asymptomatic at the time of the test have tested positive. We isolated the premises during the week before last and have done our best to protect our residents and employees by using personal protective equipment as much as possible," Pihel added.

Estonia's main focus is to prevent the spread of the virus among the elderly and people with chronic diseases. The Health Board has strictly forbidden visiting nursing homes during the outbreak as it endangeres the health of residents.

--

Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!