The heartbroken family of the first Quebec woman to die in the COVID-19 outbreak is pleading with people to follow public health instructions and keep their distance from each other.
Mariette Tremblay, 82, died this week at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital after she contracted the novel coronavirus, likely from a family member who had travelled overseas in February.
Her family said she died in isolation in her hospital bed to avoid spreading the virus. “We would have liked to be able to hold her hand, to comfort her, to whisper softly in her ear, but we didn’t have the chance,” said the letter published on Facebook by eight members of the Tremblay family. The letter was first posted on the page of her granddaughter, Bibiane Lavallée.
As of Thursday evening, 12 Canadians had died from COVID-19, the official name of the illness caused by the new coronavirus that has spread around the world. Ontario announced its second death on Thursday, while British Columbia has had eight.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health announced the province’s first death on Thursday. The patient’s infection is believed to be from community transmission, meaning the man had neither travelled nor come in close contact with a recent traveller.
Deena Hinshaw said the patient from the Edmonton region died after being in the intensive-care unit since last Thursday. The man in his 60s had underlying health conditions, but Dr. Hinsaw declined to disclose them, citing patient confidentiality.
On March 13, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told any Canadians abroad “it is time for you to come home.”
Who needs to self-isolate:
- The government asked all Canadians returning from any international travel to self-isolate.
- Anyone who has come in close contact of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 must also self-isolate.
What is self-isolation:
Self-isolation requires you to stay at home, monitor for symptoms, and avoid contact with other people for 14 days, according to the Government of Canada website.
Expectations for those in self-isolation:
- Stay home from work and school; avoid public transit;
- Have supplies such as groceries dropped off at your door;
- Keep a two-metre distance from other people;
- Stay clear of elderly people and anyone with compromised immune systems or chronic conditions.
And some tips to maintain your health and wellness:
- Give your days some structure: Shower and put on jeans, says Lia Grainger. If you work from home, make a separate space for work. Try meditation.
- Don’t just binge Netflix; lift a little: Paul Landini suggests body-weight exercises, or skipping rope to get in some cardio.
- When you do need a break, try one of these 10 books that offer lessons from past pandemics or consult Barry Hertz’s guide to the best Canadian streaming options.
Additional Globe resources:
- If you think may have the new coronavirus, here’s what to do.
- Healthy pantry staples to stock up on and other items to purchase.
- How to manage your anxiety and keep up a fitness routine.
- A visual guide to how you can help “flatten the curve.”
Need more answers? Email audience@globeandmail.com
“This is extremely sad news and all of us involved in Alberta’s COVID response feel this very deeply,” said Dr. Hinshaw, who added that fatalities are nonetheless expected. “This is a dangerous virus.”
The latest Ontario death, of a 50-year-old man from Milton, was also from community transmission. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, said investigators are still looking into exactly how the virus was transmitted.
In the Quebec case, Ms. Tremblay had health issues, including unspecified lung problems. “She was easy prey,” said her family’s letter. “It was before Quebec had plunged into this infernal whirlpool, this reorganization, before we had all the information.”
Quebec Premier François Legault announced Ms. Tremblay’s death on Wednesday and extended his sympathies. “I want to add that every measure has been taken to retrace every person who might have been in contact with her,” he said.
Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said the case highlights the importance of two measures announced in recent days: the province’s demand that all returning travellers isolate themselves for 14 days, and the visitor ban for nursing homes.
“We know it’s a big sacrifice, but the situation is serious,” he said. “It’s a matter of life and death.”
Ms. Tremblay, who lived in an apartment in the village of Lavaltrie, on the St. Lawrence River northeast of Montreal, was well known around town for her sharp mind, kindness and generosity, the family said in their letter. “She was also a pillar of our family."
The family implored people in Quebec and beyond to listen to authorities and “show civility and social responsibility."
“Stay home,” they wrote. “We didn’t have a chance to save Grand-mamie. You have the chance to make a difference now that we know the damage this pandemic is causing.”
Ms. Tremblay is survived by four daughters, nine grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren.
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