Porto has 1.4% infected people in nursing homes and the majority are caretakers

The local testing to nursing homes in Porto kicked off on 29th March and concluded last Friday, on 24th April.  

Circa 5 thousand people were tested for Covid-19, elderly and caretakers, with or with no symptoms. The programme is innovative in the country because it tests everyone within nursing homes.

About 1.4% of the people tested confirmed positive for Covid-19, the majority being caretakers of these nursing homes.

The programme was designed by Porto City Hall and was approved by the Medical staff of Hospital of São João and Santo António - University Hospital Centre, as well as both Health Centres in the city. This was also possible due to the 5 thousand Covid-19 PCR test kits donated by the Fosun Foundation and Gestifute to Porto City Hall.

- 4984 people were tested

- 4921 people have a laboratory result

- 4847 tested negative

- 73 positive

- 1 ongoing

ELDERLY

- 73 nursing homes

- 3852 beneficiaries and workers screened and all with a lab result

- 3775 tested negative

- 67 were infected (29 elderly and 38 caretakers)

- 1 ongoing (needs to repeat the sample)

OTHER UNITS

- 25 residential units of people with disabilities, homeless and Youth Accommodation Centre and people with HIV/Aids

- 1132 people were screened

- 1078 people have the lab result

- 1072 tested negative

- 6 tested positive (3 beneficiaries and 3 workers)

TOTAL PROGRAMME NUMBERS

- 4984 people tested

- 4921 people with lab result

- 4847 negative

- 73 positive

- 1 ongoing

Only 1.4% of the results are positive.

This programme enabled the separation of negative and positive tested people, via patient's hospital admission at the hospitals of São João, Santo António and the Field Hospital, located at the Super Bock Arena- Pavilhão Rosa Mota.

Also, 26 beneficiaries that tested negative were relocated to the Youth Hostel, whenever the retirement homes were not capable of taking care of these elders. Porto City Hall provided nursing care, meals and other basic care.

These people will go back to their nursing homes once the safety conditions thus allow it, as well as the ones in hospital, once they are discharged.

Drive-thru testing in Porto tested 12.500 people so far

Up to this day, 12.500 people were tested at the Queimódromo, the first drive-thru screening facility in the country, set up with the support of Porto City Hall. The unity started running on 16th March, and it has been functioning 24/7, including Sundays and holidays.

In total, these two municipal programmes alone enabled testing 7.9% of the citizens in Porto. This number adds the people tested in hospitals, private health centres and health centres in town.