Via CBC News: 3 more people die of COVID-19 in B.C. as number of cases in province tops 100. Excerpt:
Three more people have died of COVID-19 in B.C. in recent days, provincial officials said Monday, all of them linked to the same North Vancouver care home that reported the first coronavirus-related death in Canada.
Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed the fatalities on Monday, bringing the country's total number of deaths linked to the pandemic to four. All of the deaths stem from an outbreak at the Lynn Valley Care Centre home in North Vancouver, B.C., which first sickened a cluster of residents and staff earlier this month.
Henry, the provincial health officer, also said 30 additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in B.C. since Saturday. The new cases bring B.C.'s total to 103.
"It has been a challenging weekend and a weekend of change as we watch what is happening," Henry said, speaking from Victoria on Monday. "The situation is escalating around us, and here in British Columbia as well."
Henry said six patients are in hospital in acute care, while the others are in stable condition and isolating at home. Five people have fully recovered, although Henry said there are "many more" whose symptoms have been resolved. Test results are needed to positively confirm full recoveries.
The new cases were found in the Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal Health, Interior Health and Island Health regions.
The province's top doctor said at least four of the latest cases are connected to a dental conference that was held in Vancouver March 6-7, which had nearly 15,000 people in attendance. One case was already confirmed with a conference attendee last week.
The health officer said anyone who attended that conference "needs to self-isolate immediately."
Meanwhile, Vancouver Coastal Health has alerted the public that someone who worked at the Showcase restaurant at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle hotel on March 10, 11 and 13 has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Health officials say that the risk to people dining at the restaurant on those dates in low, but anyone who was at the restaurant between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the dates in question should monitor themselves for symptoms.
'I'm worried about people dying alone'
At Lynn Valley Care Centre, residents' families say they've been pitching in to help look after residents because the outbreak has left the facility short-staffed.
Kelly Shellard is currently living in isolation after spending a few days in the care home with her 81-year-old father, delivering meals to residents and generally helping out.
She told CBC her father is feeling anxious, depressed and frustrated from being trapped in his room, but she's most concerned about residents who don't have family looking out for them.
"I've been kept up so many nights. I'm just really worried about all of those people in that home and I'm worried about them not getting the care that they need," Shellard said.
"I'm worried about people dying alone."
