Now, Breach Candy nurse infected, Jaslok to resume ops on Monday

MUMBAI: After Jaslok and Wockhardt hospitals, a nurse in Breach Candy has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. With this, around 53 nurses and eight doctors have been affected across city hospitals in the past two weeks.

TOI has learnt that the nurse's samples were taken at least two days ago and when the positive report came on Monday night, she had reached her hostel. She was brought back to the hospital for isolation. "The nurse was examined thoroughly by performing various tests on her which were within normal limits in OPD, and hence she was sent back to the hostel," said the hospital, refuting allegations that she was on duty despite being a suspect.

Around six more staffers have been quarantined and their swabs will be taken. Previously, a technician from Breach Candy had tested positive. He had been on duty the day the cardiac surgeon from Saifee Hospital, who was infected, had operated on a patient. The hospital's cardiac facility that had shut on March 27 is strictly admitting emergency cases.

Wockhardt, where 52 staffers, including 46 nurses, tested positive, didn't record any new cases on Tuesday. A civic official said till the negative patients in the hospital complete 14 days, the hospital may remain non-functional.

Jaslok, where 21 staffers were infected after a patient with no international travel history tested positive, can resume services by Monday as 984 of the 1,005 samples tested from the hospital between March 28 and April 6 have come negative. "We believe they have contained the infection since so many swabs have turned negative. We will allow them to start soon," said a civic official.

Among smaller centres, the 42-bed Mahavir Hospital in Khar joined the list of nearly 10 other nursing homes that have shut operations. A hospital source said they completely stopped all services after a technician from the pathology lab tested positive on Sunday.