Coronavirus in Romania: Five infected, hospital closed after retired cop ignored safety measures

Just a few people who break or ignore the rules could render the authorities’ efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak useless as shown by the case of a retired policeman who infected five others and had a whole hospital closed because of him.

A former employee of the Interior Ministry went to the Gerota Hospital in Bucharest who was admitted to the Gerota Hospital in Bucharest on March 5, tested positive for COVID-19 several days later. When he was admitted to the hospital, the 60-year old man didn’t show any symptoms of coronavirus infection. Moreover, he told the doctors that he hadn’t traveled to any of the countries with coronavirus outbreaks. However, he was later found to have traveled to Israel at the end of February, which he didn’t mention, according to the Strategic Communication Group within the Interior Ministry.

As a result, five other people who came into contact with the man were confirmed as infected with the coronavirus, by Wednesday morning, March 11, including his son, his pregnant daughter in law, and his 3-year old grandson.

Moreover, the Gerota Hospital in Bucharest was closed (opening photo) and all the people in the hospital, from medical personnel to patients had to be tested for COVID-19.

The man, who is also an employee at the Public Domain Administration (ADP) in Bucharest’s District 4, also went to work between his return from Israel and his admission into hospital and even reportedly handed trinkets to his colleagues on March 1, having contact with at least 120 people, who were placed under isolation at home, according to G4Media.ro.

Woman fined for breaking insolation protocol confirmed with COVID-19 infection

In a somehow similar case, a 26-year old woman from Hunedoara county, who was confirmed with COVID-19 infection on Tuesday, March 10, had been fined several days earlier for not respecting the home isolation rules.

The woman was informed that she had to stay home, after returning from Italy. However, on March 6, she went to the hospital in Petrosani with lower back pain. “On March 6, DSP Hunedoara was informed by the hospital management and by the representatives of the County Gendarmes Inspectorate that monitors people under isolation at home, that the woman was hospitalized with low back pain. The patient was isolated in the hospital and treated for the illness she suffered, with continuous monitoring of her health,” Digi24.ro reported.

She was fined RON 10,000 (EUR 2,000) for breaking the isolation protocol. Meanwhile, the hospital in Petrosani was placed under quarantine.

Some Romanians still try to avoid the coronavirus security protocol when entering the country

A group of 21 Romanians who came from Italy by car tried to bypass the coronavirus security measures enforced by the authorities for all those who come from high risk areas. They first went to Greece and then tried to enter Romania from Bulgaria, through the southern border, hoping to bypass the security protocol. However, the Border Police found about their scheme and placed them under quarantine, according to Mediafax.

All citizens who come to Romania from Italy as well as northern France and Madrid are placed under quarantine as they enter the country. In the last two weeks, about 40,000 people entered Romania coming from Italy, according to the authorities.

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(Photo source: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea)