The coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed its first death in B.C.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s top medical health officer, told media Monday morning that the death is an elderly male resident of the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver.
“We are deeply saddened…one of the residents passed away last night,” said Henry, who added that there are five new cases, bring the total to 32 in the province.
Six new cases of COVID-19 were announced Saturday in B.C., two of which are residents of a long-term care facility on the North Shore.
The two patients are residents of the Lynn Valley Care Centre, and were identified as part of the health authority's investigation into the previously-announced patient who contracted the virus in the community.
That patient, said Henry, is a health care worker at the care home.
Henry said the risks to elderly people from the disease is “very concerning,” adding that the care home is now in “outbreak protocol,” which includes restricting visitors, limiting residents' contact with each other and monitoring the health of residents, staff and family members.
Globally, as of Monday morning, there has been 111,954 cases of the virus, resulting in 3,893 deaths, mostly in China, where the disease first surfaced late last year.
South Korea, Italy and Iran have reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases outside of China.
Almost 63,000 of the reported cases around the world have fully recovered.
However, the World Health Organization said Monday that, although it’s getting closer, it’s not quite ready to declare the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.
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