Date Published: 04/09/2020
ARCHIVED - 64 Covid cases in six care homes within the Murcia Region
ARCHIVED ARTICLE Care homes are obliged to test workers periodically and before they resume work after holidays
After 2 months with no new confirmed cases, care homes within the Region of Murcia have suddenly started to report cases this week, with six different centres reporting positives amongst either staff or residents.
Most of the nursing homes and centers for people with disabilities in the Region within the region are privately run,(there are 5 public residencies for the elderly and 6 for those with disabilities in the region out of a total of 116) so the regional government itself will only carry out testing as requested by the private owners, although all of the 116 centres are now obliged by law to PCR test their employees on a regular basis, and PCR test any staff returning from holidays or work breaks before their re-integration into the workforce of a residency.
In order to facilitate this, the red Sansonet provides data automatically for better monitoring, although the IMAS and the Ministry only directly supervise the PCR tests that are carried out on the staff of public residences; the private residences must request testing as necessary themselves.
The vice- president of the regional government and Minister of Social Policy, Isabel Franco, has confirmed this week that an investigation is underway to ascertain whether the centres already involved in these outbreaks have PCR tested their staff as is obligatory.
There have been criticisms this week about delays in obtaining PCR tests, but it is the responsibility of the centres to do so before staff return to work, and it would be logical to assume that this should be top priority for the management of the residencias given the problems experienced in care centres during the first wave of covid this spring when so many residents died.
The worst case in the Murcia region this spring was in another of the Caser network, in the geriátrico de Santo Ángel, where there were 40 deaths.
It would also be logical to assume that priority would be given to workers in care centres when resources are being allocated to undertake PCR tests, given the danger a covid-positive worker in a care home represents as opposed to bulk testing younger people for asymptomatic cases.
At the moment the situation is as follows, with 64 cases detected in just one week.
-Hermanitas de los Pobres (Murcia). 36 positives (27 residents, 4 carers and 5 nuns)
-Caser Lorca. 10 positives (8 residents and 2 carers) amongst the 134 residents. One of the residents has been hospitalised.
-Clínica San Felipe (El Palmar,Murcia). 7 positives (4 residents and 3 carers)
-Obispo Javier Azagra (El Palmar, Murcia). 3 positives (2 residents and 1 carer)
-APANDIS (Asociación de Padres con Hijos con Discapacidad Intelectual de la Comarca de Lorca, the association for parents with children suffering from intelectual disability). 7 positives (4 residents and 3 carers)
-Residencia Internacional para mayores de Villademar (San Pedro del PInatar). 1 positive (1 resident)