17 Pärnu care home residents and employees test positive for coronavirus

Thirteen residents and four employees at the Tammiste care home in Pärnu have contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus.
The Health Board (Terviseamet) confirmed 16 positive cases, ERR knows of 17 infected people, the latter of which was also confirmed by Pärnu Mayor Romek Kosenkranius.
Kosenkranius said the majority of infections were found after repeat testing. "Tests were carried out yesterday (on Tuesday -ed) and two infected were taken to hospital. Others were re-tested and all became clear, as many infected are asymptomatic," Kosenkranius said.
A total of 28 people reside at Tammiste care home. The Health Board is currently collecting additional information.
The infection was spread by a healthy person
The first COVID-19 positive resident of Tammiste care home was a person who was being treated at the nursing care center of Pärnu Hospital and was sent back to the care home on April 9, ERR was told by the Health Board.
They had been tested before being discharge from the hospital, but the test was negative. On April 11, a new sample was taken after they started showing symptoms of the disease. A positive test result was recorded on April 12.
The second positive resident of COVID-19 was reported on April 27, the third on April 28. After receiving the result of the third positive sample, all residents of Tieli House at Tammiste care home were tested, all three infected people live in this house.

During the testing of residents and staff on April 28, samples were taken from 28 people, of which 17 were positive. Of these, 13 were residents of a care home and four were employees.
Now, 20 infected people have been identified among the residents and employees of the Tammiste care home, the Health Board said.
"Elderly people live in the Tammiste care home, many of them are also bedridden. These are people at risk who may have a serious illness," a spokesperson for the Health Board said.
The test results of the nursing home will be reflected in the national statistics published by the Health Board on Thursday.
The Pärnu City Crisis Committee, which met on Wednesday morning and was attended by representatives of the Health Board and the Rescue Board, decided to use social transport to take the employees home and to work in order to minimize their contacts.
Safeguards were reviewed and further strengthened. On Thursday, the testing of the wards and employees of all other nursing home houses will be organized, the city government said.
So far, only the wards and employees of one (Tieli) care home have been tested.
At present, the Tammiste care home has 119 wards, who are located in four separate houses.
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Editor: Anders Nõmm, Helen Wright