An advocate for people on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside says the province and city need to streamline the process for getting people off the street, amid reports of the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the neighbourhood.
The Salvation Army confirmed a case of the novel coronavirus at its Harbour Light centre at Columbia and Cordova streets to the CBC, but has since refused to comment on the matter.
Vancouver Coastal Health has also refused to confirm the case, saying it will only issue a public notice if there is a chance unknown people are exposed to the virus.
The Harbour Light provides shelter, outreach and addiction treatment services. Community advocate Karen Ward says whether officials confirm the case or not is a moot point. “It’s