VANCOUVER—As Canadians settle into a new reality of closed borders and widespread isolation in an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, the harsh reality of COVID-19 has made itself known in one tiny community in a Vancouver suburb.

The Lynn Valley Care Centre, a nursing home in North Vancouver where four people in Canada lost their lives to the disease in the last week, has become a microcosm of what every person interested in public health in Canada is trying to stop.

The outbreak there has also infected 12 of the people employed to care for the residents.

The risk of contracting COVID-19 across Canada is still considered low, health officials said Monday, but for Todd Wong, whose mother has lived at the care home for five years, the pandemic’s worst case scenario is already too close to home.

“It’s a relief I can see still see her, since the cases weren’t in her building,” he said. But seeing her will still have to wait.

“I’m feeling sick myself ... and waiting for COVID-19 test results to come back, so I am self-isolating,” he said.

A week after Canada’s first coronavirus death — a Lynn Valley resident in his 80s — three more were announced Monday.

Speaking in the quiet, measured tone that has helped define her as B.C.’s voice of composed reason during the COVID-19 outbreak, B.C.’s chief provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke of the people who lost their lives.

“The sad news is that we’ve had three additional deaths,” Henry said. “All of them have been residents at the Lynn Valley Care Centre where we know we’ve been dealing with an outbreak for the last week and a bit.”

The names and ages of those who died, all residents, have not been made public.

“It is a very sad situation and we pass on our condolences to their families,” said B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.

The centre, which opened its doors in 1985, is run by the North Shore Private Hospital.

Its 200 beds are split between two buildings, the original two-storey building called “The Lodge” and a newer five-storey building called “The Manor.” The original building is the site of the outbreak.

Recent pictures and video posted on Lynn Valley’s Facebook page show staff and residents during happier times, clapping their hands along to a guitarist singing Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and an Elvis impersonator singing “Bossa Nova.” Other pictures show residents, many in wheelchairs, sitting in a bright dining room or playing cards.

Reports from family suggest the tone at the home has changed since the outbreak began.

Neil Warner spoke to his brother, Ken, who is a resident at the Lynn Valley Care Centre, by phone on Monday from his home in Scotland.

“He’s obviously concerned like most people would be in that situation,” Warner said. “We’re all concerned worldwide.”

The average age of residents in the home is 87 and nearly seven in 10 residents have some form of dementia.

The facility reported zero disease outbreaks and nine falls resulting in injury for the 2018-2019 year, according to a report from the Office of the Seniors Advocate in B.C.

Since the beginning of the outbreak at Lynn Valley, Henry has said she’s particularly concerned about how long-term care facilities could be vulnerable to the COVID-19 outbreak. That’s not only because the elderly residents are especially susceptible to severe illness due to the virus, but also because care aids often work for subcontracted companies and take care of patients at multiple homes.

That makes the job of public health agencies more difficult, especially when it comes to tracing all possible contacts a worker exposed to COVID-19 may have had.

“Long-term care workers are usually not paid very well,” said Dr. Annalee Yassi, Canada Research Chair in Global Health at the University of British Columbia. “And the fact that you have a health care worker who works at more than one place speaks to another issue — it’s very important that health care workers have sick benefits so that when they are sick they stay home.”

A care aide who refused to give her name, saying she had been directed not to speak with reporters, told the Star that care workers at Lynn Valley get six sick days.

She said she and fellow care workers were “doing OK” so far.

B.C. officials say there is also an outbreak at Lions Gate Hospital, where three administrative workers tested positive for the virus. There are also two confirmed cases of the virus in health-care workers at Hollyburn House nursing home in West Vancouver, about 20 minutes from Lynn Valley Care Centre.

In the community of Lynn Valley, which is home to multiple nursing homes as well as seniors-only condominium complexes, the tone Monday was one of caution — but not alarm.

Married couple Brian Fraser and Jill Alexander made their daily walk from their home in a 55-plus condo Monday afternoon to the Lynn Valley Village about a block away form the affected care home, where residents often gather for a coffee or to go to the library.

A usually-packed coffee shop in the centre of the village was deserted inside Monday, but Fraser and Alexander were one of about a half dozen parties enjoying a hot drink on the sunny patio.

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“The larger picture — it’s scary, it’s creating a new world,” Alexander said. But they’re not letting fear of COVID-19 take over their lives and routines.

“This is a stop off on our afternoon walk,” he said. “We’re in that vulnerable age bracket, but we’re healthy. We’ve noticed that people within the complex are more attentive to each other’s needs.”

Jay Carter, who is 65 and has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — also known as COPD, it can make breathing difficult — has been watching the news about the Lynn Valley Care Centre closely, since his daughter lives nearby. On Monday, he briefly sat outside the centre while waiting for the bus on his way home from visiting her.

“I try to be as conscious of it as possible, I’m already conscious of my health,” Carter said.

But having recently broken bones, Carter said he spends enough time indoors and wanted to make his way home on the bus rather than getting a ride so he could spend a bit of time in the sunshine. He said he plans to practise good hand hygiene, and enjoy the ride.

Beyond concern about the spread of the novel coronavirus at seniors homes, Henry said it is also now clear that there were likely multiple people with COVID-19 at the Pacific Dental Conference held in Vancouver from March 5-7. At least four of the 30 new cases confirmed Monday are linked to that conference, she said.

Health officials are now asking anyone who attended to self-isolate until Sunday, which would mark 14 days since the conference.

There have now been 103 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in B.C., including six people who are in hospital, five people who have since tested negative and several more who have recovered and are waiting for test results, said Henry.

The province introduced several new measures Monday in an effort to contain COVID-19. There is now a ban on gatherings of 50 people or more, a stricter measure from Friday, when that threshold was 250 people or more.

Hospitals have been directed to cancel scheduled surgeries to prepare facilities for COVID-19 related care.

Also, casinos in the province have been directed to close as of Monday.

Henry said provincial authorities are discussing next steps for B.C. schools and that she will address possible measures Tuesday. Several other provinces have closed schools temporarily, while others such as Alberta and Saskatchewan have closed schools indefinitely.

“The situation is escalating around us and here in British Columbia as well,” said Henry. “There are things we need to do now to take action to protect our citizens, our community, our families here.”

Several cities in B.C. are taking specific measures to try and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart announced widespread closure of city facilities and services on Monday.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to suspend a number of non-essential programs and close most civic facilities,” Stewart said.

“Part of the essential services to remain open will be food, shelter and hygiene programs” for vulnerable populations, he said.

The city has convened a Downtown Eastside task force to tackle the best ways to sanitize downtown single room occupancy (SRO) buildings, where vulnerable people live in proximity.

Stewart said Vancouver residents should only go out to bars and restaurants if they feel confident they can keep one metre away from other patrons.

“Right now, use your own common sense. For St. Patrick’s Day — I’ve been to a lot of those bars, you’re crammed together,” he said. “If you can’t keep a safe distance, stay home.”

With files from Douglas Quan and Joanna Chiu

Douglas Quan is a Vancouver-based reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @dougquan

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