Three new patients with COVID-19
Today three new patients in the Netherlands were confirmed as having COVID-19, bringing the current number of confirmed cases in the country to 10. One of the patients had been admitted to Beatrix Hospital in Gorinchem. The hospital is now being closed temporarily as a precautionary measure.
Patients
It is not known at this time how these three patients became infected. One male patient lives in Drenthe, and a female patient in Tilburg. They are both in home isolation while the source of their infections is investigated. At the same time the municipal health services (GGDs) in these two areas are tracing all the people who these two patients had been in close contact with.
As for the other female patient, the fact that she was infected with the new coronavirus was not known while she was in the Beatrix Hospital in Gorinchem. She has now been transferred to Erasmus MC hospital in Rotterdam, where she is in isolation during her treatment.
Beatrix Hospital
Beatrix Hospital is taking several precautionary measures. The GGD is tracing and monitoring the people with whom the patient had been in close contact, including healthcare workers. The hospital has also announced that for the time being it will not be admitting any new patients. It will also be temporarily closed to visitors.
Travellers from areas affected by coronavirus
People who have been in one of the areas where the coronavirus is widespread and have symptoms are advised to stay at home. If their symptoms get worse, they should make contact by phone with their family doctor. The areas concerned are China, South Korea, Iran, Singapore and Northern Italy, meaning specifically the following regions: the Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Trentino-South Tyrol, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria.
Restrictions for people living with patients
People who share homes with confirmed COVID-19 patients and have run risks must limit their social contacts. This means that they may not go to work and in general should go outside as little as possible.
COVID-19
The virus can be spread via air droplets, released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. To prevent the further spread of the virus in the Netherlands, the GGDs are working with National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) to trace anyone who has been in close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients. These people will be monitored and must take their temperatures twice daily, reporting the readings to the GGD in their area. They must also report any symptoms they have, and if their symptoms match those of COVID-19, they too will be isolated and tested. These measures reduce the likelihood that the virus will spread further in the Netherlands.