Three more deaths linked to seniors home in North Vancouver: B.C. health officer

VICTORIA — British Columbia has recorded three more deaths from COVID-19, all of them stemming from a long-term care home in North Vancouver where the first death in Canada was reported.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 30 more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in B.C., which now has 103 cases.

There has been a cluster of cases at the Lynn Valley Care Centre, where a man in his 80s with pre-existing health conditions died on March 8.

Henry says at least four of the latest cases are connected to a dental conference that was held in Vancouver on March 6 and 7, and that anyone from around the world who attended the event needs to self isolate.

Henry says she has directed the attorney general to close casinos and all gatherings should be limited to 50 people.

She says hospitals will cancel elective surgeries and only emergency and urgent procedures will be performed.

Henry is urging everyone to “come together as a community” and stay connected with seniors, many of whom are isolated in their own homes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2020.

 

The Canadian Press