In the De Tweemaster nursing home in Maassluis, 25 infections with the coronavirus have been diagnosed, reports Argos Care Group Sunday. On Wednesday, there were still six cases.
After the first infections were diagnosed earlier this week, the nursing home instituted a visitor stop. The residents with corona have been transferred to a special COVID department of the Marnix Rehabilitation Center in Vlaardingen. There they are cared for separately from other residents.
All employees, volunteers and residents are tested preventively, Argos writes in a statement. So far, seventeen residents and eight employees have been infected. Employees with a positive test or symptoms are not currently working, Argos said.
Argos Zorggroep believes it is difficult to determine the cause of the contamination. The care group emphasizes that it has sufficient protective equipment.
The visitors’ scheme was relaxed a week and a half before the first infection. From 15 June, one permanent visitor per resident is allowed, provided no contamination has been identified on the site.
“Opening the houses up for visitors increases the risk of catching the virus,” Argos writes. “Any movement from the outside in is an opportunity for the virus to come along. We hope the contact research will provide more insight into this.”
About five residents are infected every day
From 1 July, the visitors’ scheme will be further relaxed for all nursing homes where there is no corona, said Minister Hugo de Jonge (Public Health) last week. During the visit, the 1.5 meter distance must be kept.
Nursing homes worldwide have been found to be a blind spot during the corona pandemic. Residents are especially vulnerable to the virus due to the often old age and health problems.
Figures from Verenso, the association of specialists in geriatric medicine, show that so far almost ten thousand elderly people have been infected in homes. Nearly two thousand of them died from the effects of the virus.
That peak is now behind us. On a daily basis, more than five infected nursing home residents were rarely reported to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the past month (RIVM).
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