Island Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for a second time during the pandemic.
Two staff members and one patient have tested positive, all on the fourth floor, said Island Health in a news release Saturday evening.
The health authority said the outbreak has been limited to east wing of NRGH’s fourth floor. One staff member there tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 19 and Island Health says it immediately implemented precautions such as enhanced cleaning and contact tracing.
Through “broad testing,” the other cases were identified. Island Health says 63 patients and 58 staff members have been tested for COVID-19, and “enhanced surveillance testing” is continuing. No new admissions are happening now on the fourth floor’s east wing and hospital staff working there will not work in other units.
NRGH also went through a COVID-19 outbreak in November. That outbreak, during which time five staff members tested positive for the virus, lasted 10 days before it was declared over.
As of Friday, there were 194 active COVID-19 cases on Vancouver Island, with 152 of those cases in the central Island. The health authority is implementing Phase 1 of the province’s immunization plan.
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