Coronavirus in Romania: Suceava becomes biggest Covid-19 hotspot in the country, local administration head infected

Suceava, a city of over 100,000 people in north-eastern Romania, has become the biggest Covid-19 hotspot in the country, with over a fifth of all the confirmed infection cases in the country and nearly half of the dead patients (6 out of 13). Most of the infection cases in the city occurred at the county hospital, which was closed on Wednesday morning for disinfection.

The president of the Suceava County Council, Gheorghe Flutur (opening photo), who is also one of the most influential leaders of the ruling Liberal Party, has also tested positive for Covid-19 and admitted to the local hospital.

“We have over 170 cases of coronavirus in Suceava and the surrounding localities. Out of a total of 233 doctors at the Suceava County Hospital, 34 doctors are contaminated, plus 49 nurses and auxiliary staff. They are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms,” Nelu Tataru, a state secretary in the Health Ministry, told Digi24.ro.

The rest of the doctors have been placed under isolation for 14 days.

The Health Ministry announced on Wednesday morning that it decided to close the Suceava County Hospital for disinfection and that it hopes to reopen the Emergency Department in 48 hours.

On Wednesday morning there were still 124 patients in the hospital. They will be tested for Covid-19 and the positive ones will be transferred to the Infectious Diseases section, which is in a separate building. The ones who don’t test positive will be sent home and placed under isolation while more serious cases will be transferred to other hospitals in the region.

“The Suceava hospital goes into complete disinfection, the Emergency Department (UPU) will resume its activity in 48 hours but only to examine and direct patients to other hospitals, namely Radauti and Falticeni for mild pathologies, and Iasi for severe one,” Nelu Tataru explained.

The Health Ministry has also decided that, after reopening, the Suceava County Hospital will be dedicated to treating Covid-19 cases. The Infectious Diseases Section, which is in a separate building, has 248 beds, of which 108 are currently occupied.

The Health Ministry also said it allotted RON 750,000 (EUR 156,000) to the Suceava Public Health Direction (DSP) for the acquisition of a Real-Time PCR test machine.