The Etulia Winery that forms part of the group of wineries Bostavan, where an outbreak of the novel coronavirus was reported, will test all its employees and their families, over 1,000 people, for COVID-19. The tests have been done by a private lab as of April 21. As many as 174 persons had been tested by April 24 and 77 tested positive, 83% of these being asymptomatic. The information was presented by Vasile Tofan, chairman of the Administration Board of Bostavan Winery, in a news conference, IPN reports.
According to Vasile Tofan, the first cases of infection in Cișmichioi and Etulia were reported on April 9, but those infected didn’t include employees of the winery. On April 17, there was reported the first case of infection among the company’s employees. In two days, there were confirmed four more case, among those who contacted with the infected person. Infections were identified in only one of the seven production sectors. “We want the press and the general public to look at the pandemic and at the current situation through the angle of a business that is trying to survive, to work in these rather difficult conditions” stated Vasile Tofan.
He noted that he does not know the source of the outbreak, but the investigations continue. A birthday party was given in the village and the mother of the man who celebrated is an employee of the winery. The virus probably came from outside.
Vasile Tofan also said that the administration intends to reopen the winery on May 5, by observing all the protection measures at the workplace, in stricter conditions. All the production platforms of the group were closed for the post-Easter period, as it had been planned, and Etulia Winery is subject to disinfection. Only the employees who tested negative for COVID-19 or those who recovered will return to work.
The villages Cișmichioi and Etulia of Vulcănești district were placed in quarantine as of April 25 given the large number of infected people in these localities, who are mainly employees of Etulia Winery.
