June 11, 2020 - The three closest persons who were in contact with a mother and son from Bosnia and Herzegovina, infected with the coronavirus, and who were staying in Herceg Novi, tested negative for COVID-19, the Institute of Public Health announced.
Tests for the remaining two contacts of the infected persons will be processed during the day. The IPH also said that all contacts are in strict isolation and that they still do not have any infection symptoms.
The IPH explains that the local epidemiological service of the Health Center Herceg Novi, on Wednesday, June 10, received a notification from the epidemiological service of the Health Center Trebinje, that during the day a positive PCR result was obtained from a sample of a patient from that municipality who stayed with her son. They allegedly stayed in their apartment in Herceg Novi, between June 1st and 3rd.
Epidemiological research and exchange of information reconstructed patients' movement before, during, and after their stay in Montenegro.
"According to available data, the index case is a son who, before arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, stayed in Belgrade, where, while he was travelling, the disease was confirmed among other family members who did not travel or come to Montenegro," said the statement.
Five persons from Montenegro who were in contact with the mother and son were identified.
"According to the usual protocol, they were placed in self-isolation and sampled for laboratory processing due to suspicion of possible exposure to the new coronavirus. At the moment, none of the contacts have symptoms of a respiratory infection even nine days after the potential exposure, "it is stated in the announcement.
The results of laboratory analyses, which were completed early this morning with the three closest contacts, were negative. In contrast, the processing of the remaining two will be completed by the end of the day, the Institute of Public Health pointed out.
"All contacts remain in strict self-isolation until the end of the incubation period of 14 days, when they will be re-tested by the laboratory," the statement reads.
The IPH added that this situation is neither unusual nor unexpected, especially considering all the knowledge about the coronavirus and the frequency of asymptomatic carriers of the virus.
"Even though we have not had proven cases of the disease for almost 40 days, the Institute and all local epidemiological services will continue with intensive active epidemiological surveillance, searching for possible cases of infection and epidemiological treatment of all suspected cases," the statement concluded.
