Following testing to nursing homes in Porto, the city prepares visits to the elderly ensuring optimal safety

Porto was the first municipality in Portugal to promote testing to all nursing homes in the city; this programme tested both elderly people and caretakers for Covid-19. Negative and positive cases were separated and reallocated to previously arranged places by Porto City Hall. 

It is now time to organize controlled visits to the senior citizens, in optimal safety conditions, namely by offering protective equipment to visitors.

Confinement measures in nursing homes in Porto were key to the good results presented today by Rui Moreira's Municipal Executive, which revealed that out of five thousand tests, only 1.4% showed infection by Covid-19.

Porto anticipated the crisis and protected its senior population. The good work must continue, though. Also, it is fundamental that families get together, after being two months apart.

The Municipality is preparing thousands of Personal protective equipment (PPE) and teams that will organize the first visits to nursing homes, during the pandemic, by explaining the right safety procedures.

Visits to retirement homes will initiate as soon as the DGS issues the safety norms.

There are over 70 nursing homes in Porto, and all were tested for the novel coronavirus.

These screening measures were also extended to institutions that accommodate people with disabilities and homeless people.

According to the report presented during the meeting today, only 1.4% of the elderly and 0.6% of the remaining hospitalized citizens, who were screened under the testing programme by Porto City Hall, tested positive for Covid-19.