First Covid-19 patient in NL "doing well"; hospital open as usual

A 56-year-old man officially diagnosed with coronavirus Covid-19 in Tilburg on Thursday, is doing well under the circumstances, Tilburg mayor Theo Weterings said on television program Jinek. He is being treated n the Elisabeth-TweeSteden hospital in Tilburg, which will remain open and operational as usual.

The man from Loon op Zand was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday. He twice tested positive for Covid-19. He was immediately placed in quarantine upon his arrival at the hospital, the hospital said according to NOS. Other patients and visitors therefore do not have to be screened for the coronavirus.

"The man is being nursed in quarantine. In the context of patient privacy, I cannot say much about it," a spokesperson for the Elisabeth-TweeSteden hospital said to AD.

Municipal health service GGD is currently searching out everyone the man recently had contact with. It is believed he contracted the virus while visiting the Italian region of Lombardy, where hundreds of people are infected. According to newspaper AD, the man celebrated carnival in his home village Loon op Zand. His adult children attended carnival festivities in Tilburg, the newspaper's sources said.

Hanne van Aart, the mayor of Loon op Zand, is "enormously shocked" that the coronavirus has been detected in her region. "I sympathize with this gentleman and his family. We are working hard to be able to nip this infection in the bud."

The municipality of Tilburg is not taking any additional measures as of yet, a municipal spokesperson said to AD. "We have faith in the Elisabeth Hospital and the GGD. They are now working on it," mayor Weterings said. The municipality is in close contact with public health institute RIVM and the Ministry of Public Health. "We keep each other well informed at the moment, including by telephone. First and foremost, our care and attention goes out the the patient and his family," the mayor said.

According to the RIVM, the protocol followed with his man was quarantine, contact investigation, and continuous monitoring of the patient. The same protocol will be followed with any possible ew infections.