KFL&A Public Health says COVID-19 related death announced by province is a false positive

KFL&A Public Health says a COVID-19 related death recorded by the province has been determined a false positive.

“We’re confident that the person did not die of COVID-19 but died of their other medical illnesses,” Dr. Kieran Moore, medical officer of health for the region said in a YouTube video on Thursday.

According to provincial data released Thursday, the Kingston region saw it’s first novel coronavirus-related death this week.

The online data indicates a woman in her 80s, who tested positive for COVID-19 on June 24, died.

The province’s numbers also show that there are five other active cases of COVID-19 in the Kingston region.

The KFL&A Public Health COVID-19 database is not showing any deaths, and did not announce a coronavirus-related death on Wednesday when they reported three new cases of the virus in the city.

KFL&A Public Health posted a Youtube video featuring Moore Thursday morning in which he says the elderly woman had presented “weak positive” results before passing away.

The woman was living at Arbour Heights, a longterm care home in the west-end of the city when she died.

Moore said a second test conducted by the ministry of health came back negative, and therefore public health has determined the original test was a false positive.

The public health unit has also declared an outbreak at Binh’s Nail and Spa salon at 500 Gardiners Road in Kingston.

“All clients who have sought services at this salon between June 12 to June 24 are required to self-isolate and to get tested,” the public health unit said.

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“Once tested, clients are required to quarantine for 14 days from the date of their appointment, regardless of test results.”

It’s unclear who tested positive for the virus at the salon. Global Kingston visited the salon on June 11 and spoke to the owner, Binh Nguyen, who said she had taken every precaution to keep her customers safe.

Nguyen confirmed she was booked solid for her first few days back in business.

The KFL&A Public Health region therefore is still recording only five active cases of the virus, with 68 total cases.

More to come.