Eden Gardens in Nanaimo is one of two local facilities and five long-term care homes on Vancouver Island to report COVID-19 outbreaks on Wednesday, Jan. 5. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

OUTBREAK

UPDATE: additional COVID19 cases linked to Nanaimo long-term care home outbreak

Jan 5, 2022 | 11:15 AM

UPDATE: Island Health confirmed three additional COVID-19 cases linked to the Eden Gardens long-term care home.

On Thursday, Jan 6 the health authority revealed two additional resident cases and one more staff case. In total, four staff and three resident cases have been accounted for during an outbreak first declared a day earlier.

The outbreak continues to only effect the second floor Cypress Unit.

EARLIER — A pair of long term care homes have confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19.

Staff at Eden Gardens identified three staff members and one resident in the Cypress Unit on the second floor of the Northfield Rd. facility contracted COVID-19.

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Meanwhile, Kiwanis Village Lodge near Nanaimo Regional General Hospital also confirmed three staff members and one resident tested positive with the virus.

Cases are currently limited to the first floor of Kiwanis Village, located just off Nelson St.

The outbreaks are part of five confirmed by Island Health on Wednesday, Jan. 5, with the remaining three at facilities in Victoria.

Island Health said in a release admissions or transfers are stopped among affected units, with staff movement also limited.

Group dining is also suspended in a bid to prevent further spread.

Enhanced screening of all staff and residents is underway to closely monitor for symptoms while additional testing will also take place.

It’s the first outbreak of COVID-19 at Kiwanis Village throughout the pandemic and the second at Eden Gardens.

Their first began on Feb. 14, 2021 and was declared over on Mar. 1 after one staff member and one resident had tested positive.

The most recent outbreak at a long term care home was in late November when three patients and two staff tested positive at Chartwell Malaspina Care Residence in Chase River.

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