Banja Luka school attended by child sick with coronavirus closed: Children to be tested

Elementary school Branko Copic in Banja Luka will be closed today and tomorrow

Two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Banja Luka, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Serb Republic (RS) Alen Seranic has confirmed.

"This is a middle-aged patient, who works in Italy. His child is positive for the virus, too, but without symptoms, while his wife tested negative," said Seranic.

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He said the child is enrolled in the Branko Copic Elementary School, Srpskainfo reports.

Seranic added that this school will not work today and tomorrow. Parents will be notified to bring their children for screening, he said.

"No need to panic, but we should be careful. Those who came from countries with coronavirus will be monitored. There is no reason to report to the health centers in person, instead they should contact the competent service. This was the case with the patient who has been confirmed to have contracted coronavirus," said acting head of the Institute of Public Health Branislav Zeljkovic.

Mild clinical picture

He added that it is important that no patient has symptoms and that their the clinical picture is mild.

RS University Clinical Center (UKC) Director Vlado Djajic says the population does not need to worry.

"UKC was prepared to accepted the first patient, we have over 50 quarantine beds," says Djajic.

The city's headquarters monitoring the situation since last week introduced daily monitoring.

"Hygiene measures should be stepped up, especially in places of gathering places of a large number of people. We will monitor the situation in school and preschool facilities. Children from the Branko Copic Elementary School will be tested. Elderly persons should move less, as a prevention measure. These are the risk groups where the consequences can be greater," says Mayor Igor Radojicic.

He stresses that there is no reason for events to be canceled.

(Telegraf.rs)