Island Health has declared an outbreak at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, the second of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

COVID CONCERNS

COVID-19 outbreak declared in east wing of Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

Jan 23, 2021 | 5:44 PM

NANAIMO — Island Health has confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak at NRGH.

A statement from the health authority late Saturday, Jan. 23 said two staff and one patient in a ward on the fourth floor of the east wing.

One staff member tested positive on Jan. 19 when they became symptomatic. Additional testing and contact tracing linked the second staff member and the patient.

No further admissions are being accepted to the fourth floor east wing of the hospital. Staff on the fourth floor will be limited from working elsewhere in the hospital and several patient transfers are suspended until further notice.

In response to the outbreak, 63 patients and 58 staff were tested for COVID-19 by Island Health as of Saturday night.

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No other areas of the hospital, including the emergency room, are affected and remain fully operational.

It’s the second COVID-19 outbreak declared at the hospital since the pandemic began in early 2020.

Five staff members in a transitional care unit at the hospital tested positive in November.

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