“It’s a nightmare,” said mayor Gwendolyn Rutten (Open VLD), who returned early from her vacation in France. “After the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit this center very hard, it hurts terribly. Our hearts go out to the affected residents, their families and their friends. »
Hundreds of residents evacuated
All the residents of the center, ie 162 people, were evacuated, but this operation took a long time because many of them are in wheelchairs or have difficulty moving around, said the mayor. They were initially transferred to the village hall of the city, before being taken care of by relatives or various hospitals in the surroundings, in particular those of Louvain, Antwerp and Hasselt. Residents will be able to stay in certain departments where no patient is staying during the weekend.
Residents will be welcomed as much as possible with groups of people they know and with staff members they know. “In this way, residents recognize the faces around them,” explains Winne Haenen, Federal Hygiene Inspector. “Seeing familiar faces is very important. »
The nursing home building was rendered unusable by the fire and the water damage caused by the intervention of the fire brigade. Gas and electricity checks must also be carried out, which can take several days. It is not yet known when residents will be able to return to the center.
The Leuven public prosecutor’s office has opened an in-depth investigation.
