RIGA, Dec 14 (LETA) - One Covid-19 case in an old people's care home in Daugavpils has led to the discovery of at least 70 more cases, Helena Soldatjonoka (Latgale Party), head of the Daugavpils City Council's social affairs committee, told LETA, adding that some test results of the care home's staff and clients are still being awaited. 

Soldatjonoka said that the testing of clients and employees at the care home was started after a client was diagnosed with Covid-19 and later died. The client had to take the test before receiving chemotherapy for his cancer. The positive result of the Covid-19 test came back in three days, during which the client had interacted both with employees and other clients of the care home. 

The representative of the city council believes that the virus was probably brought into the care home by an employee. 

The comprehensive testing of employees and clients of the care home has been completed and around 70 tests had come back positive by Monday. More than 50 of those who tested positive for the coronavirus are clients of the care home and the rest are employees. There are approximately 270 clients, more than half of them bedridden, as well as more than 200 employees in the care home.

On Tuesday, the Daugavpils City Council plans to consult with the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the care home's head Valentins Plone. Soldatjonoka said that Plone's responsibility will be assessed and an inquiry ordered into the Covid-19 outbreak.

"I see that it's hard, but we are expecting support and recommendations also from the CDC," Soldatjonoka said, adding that it is not clear, for instance, whether the employees without symptoms are allowed to work with the clients. 

As reported, a total of 12 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Daugavpils on Sunday, bringing the city's cumulative 14-day number of cases to 1,147.