Parents in central Russia have expressed concern over the authorities' refusal to close a local kindergarten after one of its teachers was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a news report said.
The chief doctor of the Ivanovo region's tuberculosis clinic, Irina Atroshenko, has sought to dispel their worries, saying Kindergarten 104 in the town of Pustosh Bor had been “disinfected,” with sanitation workers having cleaned the “floors, walls, all the furniture [and] beds,” local Ivanovo News portal reported Tuesday.
But parents argued the kindergarten should have been shut down and quarantined, the report said.
“It's unknown how much time this employee spent at the kindergarten, how much they interacted with children, or how closely,” Olga Zabrodina, the mother of a 5-year-old student in the kindergarten, was quoted as saying.
The kindergarten teacher who contracted tuberculosis has been hospitalized, Ivanovo News reported.
All other employees have been ordered to undergo fluorography screening — an X-ray test used to diagnose tuberculosis — while the children are taking Mantoux tests for the disease and will be under medical observation, the report said.
At least 18 children were diagnosed with tuberculosis in the Ivanovo region last year, in addition to the seven diagnosed so far in 2015, Ivanovo News reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.