Personal Injury Law

The figure doesn't include more than 150 Palmerston North Hospital patients and staff who were ill during March and April, and an undisclosed number since the second week of June.

While the hospital has locked most of its doors against visitors, restricted entrance to most wards and shut down visitor lifts to control its outbreak, the incidence of the bug in the community has waned since April.

MidCentral Public Health Unit health protection officer Peter Wood confirmed 15 outbreaks of gastroenteritis had been reported in three months, and in 12 of them, norovirus was confirmed as the cause.

Most of the outbreaks were in residential institutions such as rest homes, but two were not. Check out the rest of her story in the Manawatu Standard.