Residents at a Bethlehem age care facility are being isolated from visitors while the facility deals with a suspected Norovirus outbreak.

Bethlehem Views, a 68-room village and hospital facility, is closed to visitors and contractors while staff eliminate the outbreak, which was first reported on February 19.

Bethlehem Vista on Cambridge Road, Tauranga.

Norovirus symptoms include vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and nausea. Symptoms usually occur within 48 hours of exposure to an infected person, food or environment.

Bethlehem Views management say due to the unconfirmed Norovirus outbreak the village has been advised by the public health authoritiy to close the facility to visitors and contractors.

'Our facility is being cleaned numerous times a day, using a bleach based product. Staff are following infection control procedures at all times,” says management.

'All residents are being isolated in the hope this will be bought to a swift conclusion.”

As well as isolating and restricting visitor movements, the resthome is using a range of cleaning and disinfectant measurements, including strict hand hygiene and staff to stay home if they become infected.

Bay of Plenty DHB medical officer of health, Neil de Wet, says he was immediately informed of the suspected outbreak by village management but test results are yet to come back. The virus typically lasts in individuals for two to three days.

'A couple of our staff members have been working with them on some assistance on managing the infection. They have been doing a good job in taking all the measures they need to take,” says Neil.

Neil says it is not standard protocol for a retirement home to close its doors on visitors in such a situation, but is very common in helping limit the virus.

'In a resthome environment it can be more difficult to manage because it spreads easily and we want to get on top of it as soon as possible,” says Neil.

'Norovirus is very common in the community. When people talk about having a 24-hour vomiting bug that's the one, it's very common in the community and we get outbreaks a school camps.”

To date, the largest Norovirus outbreak in New Zealand was in June 2006. About 350 people fell ill with Norovirus after a catering firm, who contrary to cooking instructions, served raw, thawed, imported oysters in a corporate box at a rugby match.

'We understand this is inconvenient for residents, families and friends and we appreciate their co-operation and patience to manage this situation, many family members have contacted us during this period to voice their support of our efforts,” says management.

A family member of one of the residents told SunLive that staff are working around the clock to eliminate the bug.

She says Bethlehem View is a fantastic facility and has kept both residents and family fully informed. She is in constant contact with her mother at the facility and is "extremely happy" with how management have handled the situation.

To avoid the virus, it is recommended people hand wash with soap and water directly after going to the toilet and before preparing food as it helps to stop the spread of infection.

Symptoms can be relieved by drinking plenty of fluids until free of all symptoms for a minimum of 24 hours.