The province has confirmed B.C.鈥檚 eighth case of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, involving a third patient who recently travelled from Iran.
The latest person to be infected is a woman in her 60s who travelled from Tehran to visit family in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced during a news conference in Vancouver Saturday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a relatively mild case, so we鈥檙e thankful for that,鈥� Henry said.
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The woman was aware of the virus spreading in Iran, and when she started to feel unwell stayed home before called ahead to a clinic, Henry added. She鈥檚 now in isolation with her family. Meanwhile, the first four patients have been released from isolation after testing negative for the virus at least twice. The three other patients remain in stable condition.
Health Minister Adrian Dix reiterated the need for people to wash their hands, not touch their face and dispose of used tissues. Most importantly: stay home if you鈥檙e feeling unwell, he said.
Meanwhile, first 4 patients out of quarantine. Other 3 in stable condition.
鈥� Ashley Wadhwani (@ashwadhwani)
This news comes as Washington State officials confirm that a person has died from the new virus, marking first person to die from COVID-19 in U.S./Canada.
The announcement of the latest case comes as Washington State officials confirm the first death in the U.S. from the virus.
State officials issued a terse news release announcing the death, gave no details and scheduled a news conference.
Health officials in California, Oregon and Washington state are worried about the novel coronavirus spreading through West Coast communities after confirming three patients were infected by unknown means.
The patients 鈥� an older Northern California woman with chronic health conditions, a high school student in Everett, Washington and an employee at a Portland, Oregon-area school 鈥� hadn鈥檛 recently travelled overseas or had any known close contact with a traveller or an infected person, authorities said.
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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