ABERDEEN NEWS - Thirty residents and 25 members of staff at Aalwynhof Home for the Aged in Aberdeen were tested for Covid-19 last Friday, after a resident had tested positive for the virus.
This was an anxious time for the staff, residents and their families, until the reassuring news was received late on Monday afternoon that all the tests were negative.
"Congratulations to Aalwynhof staff and management for following all the rules and guidelines as set out by the Department of Health and the ACVV, to ensure the safety of all residents and personnel," said one thankful member of the community with close ties to the home.
The elderly resident who was diagnosed with the virus, a 78-year-old woman, was the second person in the town to test positive for Covid-19.
She is a close friend of the first Aberdeen patient, and as she had been in contact with him after his symptoms first appeared, the home had confined her to her room for the past two weeks.
Last Thursday afternoon, it was confirmed that she had tested positive for the virus.
Initially she was put into isolation at the home, but on Friday afternoon she was transferred to Midland Hospital in Graaff-Reinet, where she remains under observation.
According to Siyanda Manana, spokesperson for the EC Department of Health, the patient has no symptoms, but was admitted to hospital as a precautionary measure due to her age.
Diane Nel, the chairperson of Aalwynhof's board, detailed some of the measures taken by the home following the protocols set out by the ACVV.
"Members of staff have been issued with special hospital masks, aprons and gloves to wear, and the patient's room has been sanitised from ceiling to floor," said Nel.
She added that the staff were warned to self-isolate at their homes outside of working hours, and that if any member of staff feels ill, she should not go to work, but must contact the hospital immediately.
The patient was contacted for comment, but declined to respond.
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