British Columbia has announced the first COVID-19-related death in the country, along with five new cases of the virus.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the man is one of two people at a North Vancouver care home who was diagnosed with the virus last week.
Henry said the patient, a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions, passed away Sunday night.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones and also of course to the staff that provided him care, and to his home at the Lynn Valley Care Centre,” Henry said.
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Five new cases
Henry said Vancouver Coastal Health officials have been on site at the care home since they learned that a woman who worked at the care centre had been diagnosed with the virus.
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She said two additional residents at the home had tested positive for the virus, and that ongoing testing and monitoring of all residents at the facility is underway.
Another worker at the facility has also tested positive for the virus, a woman in her 40s who lives in the Fraser Health Region. She remains at home in isolation, Henry said.
1:31 Increased challenges for caregivers amidst COVID-19 outbreak
Increased challenges for caregivers amidst COVID-19 outbreak
Henry said officials have also identified close contacts of B.C.’s first known case of community transmission of COVID-19, a woman who worked at the care home, and said both of them are now in isolation and being monitored.
She added that it also now become apparent that the woman had actually contracted COVID-19 while working at the care home, rather than bringing it to the facility. She said officials were working to determine how the virus got into the care home.
Two additional cases related to international travel have also been identified.
3:03 When does an outbreak become a pandemic?
When does an outbreak become a pandemic?
One is a woman in her 50s who recently travelled to Iran, and the other is a man in his 30s who recently visited Italy. Both live in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, and are in isolation at home.
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B.C. has confirmed 32 cases of COVID-19.
Four people have recovered fully from the disease, and Henry said several of the other B.C. cases identified early in the outbreak are now asymptomatic.
Henry said officials are now waiting on tests to confirm that those patients had recovered.
Globalnews.ca coverage of the coronavirus in B.C.
1:31 Increased challenges for caregivers amidst COVID-19 outbreak
On Monday, Henry said officials had become aware of a disturbing new scam where someone is calling people and claiming to offer expedited coronavirus testing for a fee.
“We’re telling everybody in British Columbia, COVID-19 testing is done by our lab, which is an accredited lab, we are moving it out to several other labs around the province, but this is all done for free,” she said, noting that B.C. added four new testing labs last week.
“Our turnaround time is very quick, and they do not and should not be asked for money.”
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Henry said health authorities around B.C. are looking at how to set up assessment centres in order to ramp up testing if needed.
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She said the province is also using its influenza surveillance network to test all suspected flu cases for COVID-19 as well.
Henry credited that measure with catching B.C.’s first case of the coronavirus from Iran, as well as the cluster at the Lynn Valley care home.
She added that the province was also calling in extra staff to help back-trace close contacts for confirmed cases.
“We are asking some retired public health physicians to come back and work with us because we need to augment our public health capacity to do the contact tracing, to do the monitoring,” she said.
Extra precautions
With a growing number of cases of the virus, Henry said it is up to the public to help stop the spread.
“Right now we want everybody to stay home if you’re sick,” she said.
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“Even if you have the sniffles, you have a bit of a cold, your children are feeling a bit under the weather, keep them home from school, keep yourself home from work if you’re not feeling well. Even if you have no relationship to COVID-19 we want you to do that.”
Henry added that people need to continue to frequently wash their hands, cover their mouth when they cough and avoid touching their faces.
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B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said anyone feeling unwell should make certain not to visit the elderly or people with other health problems.
He said evidence from China’s Hubei province shows that the mortality rate could be as high as 14 per cent for people over 80 years old.
“Some people are very vulnerable,” he said.
3:27 First death from coronavirus, 5 new cases reported in B.C.
First death from coronavirus, 5 new cases reported in B.C.
“People with pre-existing medical conditions are more vulnerable than others, and obviously people who are older, over 80 are particularly vulnerable.”
Henry said people should also consider “social distancing” by foregoing close greetings such as hugs, kisses and handshakes, and where possible look at doing things such as meetings virtually.
Anyone who believes they are showing symptoms should call 811 and speak to a public health official, or be sure to phone their doctor or clinic before going in to get a checkup so that health care workers can take precautions.
Henry said 811 call takers had been extensively trained in how to assess patients, and to walk them through their potential risk of exposure.
Two Surrey schools were open Monday morning after someone who later tested positive for the virus was previously on site. Henry said the schools had been disinfected, but that the risk was low as no one was on the grounds while showing symptoms of the virus.
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Dix and Henry said the province was not ready to issue a directive to cancel all major public events.
She said the number of community transmitted cases remained low, and that decisions to cancel events were being looked at on a case-by-case basis.
Henry said transmission of the virus requires close contact, and that indoor gatherings involving family or the sharing of food were the most likely vector.
Cruise warnings
The federal Public Health Agency of Canada recommended Monday that people avoid all travel on cruise ships.
Henry noted that two Canadians who were aboard cruise ships have tested positive for the virus, and are now in hospital.
“It’s just an environment where people cannot separate from each other sufficiently to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses,” said Henry.
“With the ongoing outbreak we’re having around the world now there’s really no way to effectively screen people out of cruise ships, so it is really taking a chance on your health at the moment.”
1:41 Canada to repatriate quarantined Grand Princess passengers
Canada to repatriate quarantined Grand Princess passengers
Henry said she believes the cruise season should be delayed until concerns about the spread of the virus have decreased.
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She said discussions about that possibility are ongoing, with a decision expected in “the coming days.”
“We know that this will impact businesses both here and in Victoria. The tourist industry is being hard hit by this,” she said.
“But my primary concern is the health and safety of people in British Columbia and I have grave concerns about cruises right now.”
Public health officials are now providing daily updates on COVID-19 in B.C.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
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