Papamoa Beach Village have implemented fast and effective stringent health and safety measures, and are working closely with Public Health following the notification of a staff member testing positive for Covid-19.

'On Friday February 11 we were informed that one of our staff members had tested positive for Covid-19,” says a Metlifecare spokesperson.

'This staff member worked within the Toi Toi dementia unit at Papamoa Beach Village. We are working closely with Public Health.

Metlifecare says whilst this is a confirmed Covid-19 case, the exposure times and locations of the staff member are limited.

'Under Public Health's advice we have temporarily closed the Toi Toi dementia unit to all visitors. In addition, we have extended visiting restrictions to the care home alongside.

'We have tested all those people who may have come in contact with this staff member and we can confirm that to date, all Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) on staff and residents are negative.

'We are applying stringent infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, and all staff will be wearing increased levels of PPE at the Village, which includes N95 medical grade masks.”

Papamoa Beach Village Care Home. Photo: Metlifecare.

As well as resort-style independent village living, Papamoa Beach Village, located on the corner of Parton Rd and Te Okuroa Dr, has a state-of-the-art care home and includes a 24-bed rest home and hospital-level care wings.

The Toi Toi Community is Metlifecare's first dedicated care wing for people with advanced dementia. Featuring the same award-winning homestead design as the village's rest home and care wings, the dementia unit provides a home-like environment, with care individually crafted around each of the residents' needs.

'We have an extremely high vaccination rate at this care home across staff and residents. All staff and residents in the Toi Toi unit are fully vaccinated. Our confirmed case staff member remains in self-isolation, and we wish them a full and speedy recovery,” says a Metlifecare spokesperson.

'We wish to thank our Papamoa Beach Village staff for the fast and effective measures they took as soon as they became aware of any infection risk.

'We remain in close contact with Public Health and will continue to test as per their protocols and reassess the situation regularly this week.”