Virus outbreak in University of Tartu student hall has not expanded
On Tuesday, Tartu City Government said no further coronavirus cases have been found at the Raatuse dormitory which is currently under lockdown. 16 cases have been detected so far. A family doctor has also been provided for students.
Mayor Urmas Klaas, head of the Tartu crisis team, said all parties have worked very well together.
"I hope that this infection hotspot will now stop expanding. This was a very good example of how the coronavirus spreads first and foremost through social gatherings. These should be avoided at all costs. We have been in contact with other operators and managers of university dormitories in Tartu, and we have given them recommendations on how to prevent such situations," he said.
The 16 students who have tested positive must stay in isolation until their health is restored, and they are prohibited from leaving their apartments.
39 persons, who have had contact with those infected yet who have tested negative themselves, must also stay quarantined in the dormitory for at least two weeks.
In cooperation, the Tartu Ambulance Foundation and the Health board found a family doctor, who will advise the infected foreign students and later declare them free of infection. In addition, those in isolation are also provided psychological support if needed.
Residents whose test results were negative and who have not had contact with those infected can continue to move around as usual. Persons who do not live in the dormitory are not granted entrance. The restriction on movement is monitored by the police based on identity documents.
In cooperation with the Student Village, the University of Tartu has organised catering for the residents in isolation, provided personal protective equipment and disinfectants, ensured that they have the opportunity to do laundry, and arranged for the safe collection of their waste.
A strategic headquarter has been set up to resolve the situation, which includes representatives from the Tartu City Government, the University of Tartu, the Estonian Health Board, the Southern rescue centre, the Southern Prefecture, the Tartu emergency medical care centre, and the NGO Tartu Student Village. Mayor Urmas Klaas is leading the work of the team. To fulfil the tasks set for the University of Tartu and NGO Tartu Student Village, a crisis headquarter has also been set up at the University of Tartu, led by the university's Academic Secretary Tõnis Karki.
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Editor: Helen Wright