A home in Cavalões, Vila Nova de Famalicão, with 33 users, is without employees at work, after eight have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the owner of that equipment told Lusa today.
According to the owner and manager of Residência Pratinha, a private home, Teresa Pedrosa, the 18 employees of that equipment are “either tested positive or in quarantine”, with the 33 users being accompanied by her, the technical director, “who is pregnant ”, and a nurse.
“We want help, to reintegrate users or find people to help us,” said Teresa Pedrosa in statements to Lusa, explaining that she has already contacted Social Security, the health delegate and the Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão.
According to Teresa Pedrosa, Social Security said that “as it is a private home, the case has to be dealt with Public Health”. “The health delegate said that we have to stay with them all three. What is impossible, ”he said.
The oldest user is 94 years old and the youngest 55, “but has HIV”. “They are high-risk people,” he warned.
A user’s family member told Lusa that she had been contacted today by the management about “the possibility of welcoming her relative at home”.
Later on, this possibility became certain, with a phone call from the Vila Nova de Famalicão health delegate, to ask if she could “welcome her relative home”.
“She said she can’t find a solution for the elderly,” she said.
Lusa tried to contact the Vila Nova de Famalicão health delegate, but so far it has not been possible.
Contacted by Lusa, official source of the Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão, she said that the municipality was informed “this morning of the existence of the problem”.
Recalling that it is “a private institution”, the same source said that “the case was handed over to the regional entities of Health and Civil Protection”.
“The Chamber is monitoring the situation with concern and is available to help, within the two possibilities and competences”, said the same source, saying that “help was made in terms of providing meals”.
The new coronavirus, responsible for the covid-19 pandemic, has already infected more than 271,000 people worldwide, of which at least 12,700 have died.
After appearing in China in December, the outbreak spread across the world, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic situation.
In Portugal, there are 12 deaths and 1,280 confirmed infections. The death toll doubled today compared to Friday and there were 260 more cases in the same period.
Portugal is in a state of emergency from 00:00 on Thursday and until 23:59 on 02 April.
In addition, the Government declared on Tuesday the state of public calamity for the municipality of Ovar.
–
