Ayutthaya hospital to test all staff for Covid after 18 test positive

18 staff members at a hospital in Ayutthaya have tested positive for Covid-19. Over the next couple of days, all 1,700 hospital staff members will undergo testing while those who were in close contact with the infected staff will be screened.

The infected staff members, which include ambulance drivers and nurses, have been sent to another facility for treatment, according to the director of the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital, Chokechai Leethochawalit.

“No doctors have been reported infected. Only some drivers and nurses have tested positive… The hospital has screened all high-risk people who had close contact with the patients but has so far found no additional infections.”

The 1,700 staff members at the Ayutthaya hospital will be tested for Covid-19 through both saliva tests and nasal swab tests today and tomorrow. The director says the hospital will continue providing treatment for patients during this time.

“The hospital has a contingency plan for this kind of situation and will prioritise the safety of all patients… During the testing period, it will continue to provide treatment to patients as usual.”

SOURCE: Nation Thailand