The death toll continues to rise at two long-term care homes battling COVID-19 outbreaks in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.
Of the now 13 cases at The Madison in Coquitlam — including 11 residents and two staff — two residents have succumbed to the virus.
And at Nicola Lodge in Port Coquitlam, the case total has risen to 51, including 32 residents and 19 staff. Four residents have died due to the coronavirus at the facility.
As of Jan. 13 there were over 600 deaths in seniors’ homes across the province, including 42 in Tri-City facilities.
Lakeshore Care Centre, which together with The Madison is operated by The Care Group, had its outbreak declared over — but not before it gained the unenviable position as the most deadly COVID-19 outbreak in the Tri-Cities after 21 people died of the coronavirus there.
The Lakeshore facility is among several long-term care homes across the province that have been hit especially hard by the second wave of the virus in B.C. That’s prompted questions over what health care systems have done right and what they’ve done wrong to protect some of the province’s most vulnerable people.
Over the coming weeks, B.C.’s senior advocate Isobel Mackenzie said she will be launch a wide-sweeping review of the long-term care sector pulling on data from across the Lower Mainland’s deadliest outbreaks.
“Wave two has been a much more challenging experience for B.C. than wave one was,” said Mackenzie Thursday. “We should be learning why. Is it just pure bad luck? It’s possible but we don’t know that.”
The review is not expected to be finished until the spring.
By the end of Friday, Jan. 15, Fraser Health announced it will have completed 151 vaccine clinics for long term care and assisted living facilities.
