Algarve Covid-19 count rises to 6 – Canadian tourist diagnosed at private hospital

A 60-year-old Canadian tourist is the sixth confirmed case of Covid-19 in the Algarve, the General Directorate of Health have confirmed.

The man, who has been hospitalized in intensive care at Faro Hospital with Covid-19 since yesterday, was admitted to the wards of the HPA Healthcare Group due to showing flu-like symptoms, and it was these professionals at the hospital that alerted health authorities to the existence of a probable case of the virus and thus his rapid transferral.

The HPA Healthcare Group guarantees that its Private Hospital in Gambelas “followed the protocol” by sending the Canadian tourist to Faro Hospital after exhibiting likely symptoms of being infected with Covid-19.

Today, in an explanatory note sent to out to press, the HPA Saúde Group explained that the man in question was “effectively treated at one of our clinics and, due to the symptoms presented, was immediately sent to a hospital in Faro, the Hospital Particular of Gambelas”.

“There all the necessary information was collected and tests were carried out to diagnose bilateral interstitial pneumonia, which strongly pointed to a possible contagion by Covid-19”. At that time, according to the HPA Healthcare Group statement, “the professionals of HPA Gambelas followed the protocol of the General Directorate of Health, connecting with the support line and respecting all the guidelines that they were told”, that is, “to wait for the transport from INEM to take the patient to the main referral hospital in the Algarve: Faro Hospital”. This is where the tourist has been hospitalized since yesterday.

As for the health professionals who dealt with the man, they were placed in quarantine. “The fourteen employees who were in contact with the patient are in isolation, according to the instructions of the health delegate, having also carried out the necessary analyses for the screening of contagion, awaiting the results”, clarified HPA Healthcare Group.

Moreover, regional news agency Sul Informação has reported that the maid who was cleaning in the apartment where the Canadian was staying, in Albufeira, is also awaiting the results of testing. The HPA Healthcare Group concludes its clarification by stressing that “all its professionals are committed to collaborating in the national effort to contain the pandemic, adopting and respecting all the security and protection measures for its control”.