New cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in additional units at Dufferin Place care home in Nanaimo. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

MORE CASES

Scope of COVID-19 outbreak triples at Nanaimo’s Dufferin Place

Jan 20, 2022 | 3:39 PM

NANAIMO — More units and residents are impacted by an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at a local long-term care home.

Island Health initially confirmed an outbreak at Dufferin Place on Thursday, Jan. 13 with a total of nine resident cases in the Cedar Unit.

An additional 18 cases, taking the total to 27, have since been confirmed in additional units, expanding the scope of the outbreak to the entire facility located beside Nanaimo Hospital.

“Residents are being closely monitored and, in general, are experiencing mild symptoms at this time,” an information bulletin from Island Health noted.

Case numbers reported at Dufferin Place were confirmed through PCR testing or follow-up from the health authority’s contact tracing team.

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The facility, owned and operated by Island Health, has more than 140 resident beds.

Staff stopped admissions and transfers to the affected Cedar Unit when the outbreak was first confirmed.

Similar procedures are now in place for the entire Dufferin Place facility as well as enhanced monitoring or residents and limitation of staff movements.

All but essential visits to the homes are suspended as are group dining and activities.

Island Health also reported two additional outbreaks at care homes in Victoria, affecting eight residents as well as another outbreak in Port Alberni where three people have tested positive.

Outbreaks at Eden Gardens and Kiwanis Village in Nanaimo were recently declared over by the health authority.

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