TheCable

A maternity hospital in Romania, a southeastern European country, is under investigation after 10 newborn babies tested positive for COVID-19 at the facility.

The babies, who have shown no symptoms yet, were suspected to have contracted the disease from healthcare staff.

In an interview with a television station on Monday, Nelu Tataru, the country’s health minister, said the babies have been taken to an isolation centre with their mothers.

“The mothers tested negative, but the babies tested positive so we have to consider their contacts with medical staff,” Tataru said.

About 25 people, including health workers and patients, were reported to have initially tested positive for the virus.

This is coming about 24 hours after Victor Costache, former health minister, suddenly resigned as a result of alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis. He was immediately replaced by Tataru.

As the country faces a state of emergency declared on March 16, there were allegations that doctors and nurses are forced to interact with sick patients without any protective equipment.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said he might extend the state of emergency by another 30 days as the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the country exceeded 4,400 with 197 deaths.