Male resident in North Vancouver care home dies from coronavirus
The first death COVID-19-related in Canada have been recorded in BC
A man in the 80s who lives in a North Vancouver nursing home died Sunday, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. He had a health problem that existed before the contract coronavirus, said Henry.
Amenities Lynn Valley Care Center has identified as a hotspot COVID-19 three days ago.
“It’s obviously a very sad day for us all, but particularly for those family and loved ones,” said BC Health Minister Adrian Dix at a news conference in Victoria on Monday.
Henry said a female resident of the house at the age of 70 is also tested positive for the virus and is in stable condition.
Officials from the Vancouver Coastal Health has been at home since a health care worker there, a woman’s 50s identified as “Case 21,” was diagnosed with the virus last week.
Henry says Case 21 is not believed to have brought the virus into the home, also was a second health care worker who also tested positive.
Henry said it was believed the workers and the citizens of contracting the virus from a stranger in the house.
“It might be good citizens and second-care workers infected from others in that setting,” he said.
Henry said one of the workers is also working on two other homes.
“It is part of the ongoing investigation … to find out where else the workers have to work,” he said.
Two close contact Case 21 also tested positive – teenage boys and men in their 50s. They live in the Fraser Health region and are in home isolation in stable condition.
B.C. confirmed five new coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 32.
Henry said two of those came in from outside the country. One is a female in her 50s who recently returned from Iran. The second is a man in his 30s who traveled from Italy. Both are in isolation at home.
Iran and Italy are both struggling with large COVID-19 outbreaks.
According to Henry, four people in B.C. who contracted the coronavirus earlier have fully recovered. A woman in her 80s remains in the intensive care unit at Vancouver Hospital in stable condition.
Henry also warned that fraudsters trying to sell coronavirus tests over the phone.
“A disturbing things that we have been made aware of is that some people call and offer laboratory testing of fraud for a fee. We tell everyone in BC, COVID-19 testing performed by our laboratory which is accredited laboratories,” he said.
“It’s all done for free, we are very quick turnaround time and people … do not have to pay.”
On weekends, Dix urges British Columbia to avoid traveling on a cruise ship, a message that was repeated on Monday by Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam.
“I’ve asked Canadians to think twice about being on a cruise ship. Today, the Public Health Agency of Canada is recommending that Canadians avoid all travel cruises for COVID-19,” said Tam.
“The risk to the general population is low, but this could change quickly. We are most concerned about the vulnerable people of Canada.”
To advertise with Brampton-News, please contact our advertising team here: Advertise with us.
