Island Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital after five staff members, working on a unit with about 35 patients, tested positive.
The five COVID cases are all from a single transitional care unit, which looks after patients with complex medical needs who no longer require acute care. Some of the patients have cognitive impairments and some are undergoing rehabilitation therapy, an Island Health spokesman said.
Island Health said the unit has been closed to admissions and visitors, and is receiving enhanced cleaning.
Health officials have initiated contact tracing and all patients on the unit are being tested for COVID-19.
All patients on the unit have been informed, and Island Health is contacting families of patients who are unable to share the information themselves.
The hospital’s emergency department remains open, and there has been no impact on other parts of the hospital, Island Health said.
Island Health has also reported a cluster of COVID exposures at a Nanaimo high school.
A notice on the health authority’s website indicates there was a cluster of exposures at Dover Bay Secondary on Nov. 2, 5 and 6.
Island Health defines a cluster as two or more individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections who attended school during their infectious period. The cases could be linked to school-based transmission.
Island Health is also reporting an exposure at John Barsby Secondary on Nov. 5 and 6.
Parents are not required to take any action unless they are contacted by public health or school officials, the advisory said. Public health will contact parents directly if there’s a school exposure involving their child.
Meanwhile, B.C.’s Interior Health authority has issued a COVID‑19 alert to its residents as cases rise in the region. The authority said in a statement that it’s concerned by the upward trend and frequency of new local clusters.
It is asking people to avoid non-essential travel, including unnecessary visits to the Lower Mainland or other jurisdictions with surging COVID-19 cases.
The provincial health officer issued restrictions last week for the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions preventing social gatherings, indoor physical activities and non-essential travel as cases surged in the two regions.
