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UPDATED: Visitor restrictions in place for Herb Bassett Home

Apr 4, 2013 | 12:00 PM

Health officials have now extended visitor restrictions to all of the Herb Bassett Home long-term care facility in Prince Albert.

The Prince Albert Parkland Health Region said in a statement that 10 residents and five members of the facility’s staff have fallen ill with a gastrointestinal illness. Originally, five residents were ill when the outbreak was first declared at one of the units on April 2.

An outbreak had been declared only at the Paradise Path unit. Herb Bassett Home is a 144-bed facility located next to Victoria Hospital.

The health region’s communications officer, Doug Dahl, said they have cases throughout other units now, so the restrictions have been extended to the entire facility.

“They’re showing the same symptoms, which is what causes us to believe that it may have been spreading throughout the building. But depending on what’s causing it, it can often take 24 or 48 hours before people start to show symptoms after they’ve become infected.”

He said that’s one of the challenges around some of these illnesses, particularly if it were a Norwalk or Norovirus.

Dahl said it’s difficult to say at this stage when the outbreak will be lifted. “Usually, we look to have people symptom-free for anywhere from 48 to 96 hours before we lift the outbreak.”

He said they are looking at next week at the earliest for the outbreak to be lifted.

While the restrictions are in place, patient and resident transfers will not be allowed. In special circumstances, such as compassionate care, patient cases will be reviewed prior to visits being allowed.

Samples have been collected for testing.

“We do not yet have confirmation of what is behind the illness,” Dahl said.

The outbreak has also forced the health region to re-locate one of its events scheduled for Friday. The Volunteer Appreciation Tea will now be held at the Travelodge.

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