Ontario teen who died of coronavirus worked for cleaning service at Delaware, Ont., LTC home: union

The teenager who passed away due to the coronavirus in London and Middlesex worked with a cleaning service at a long-term care home, Global News has learned.

Unifor Local 302 said in a statement that Yassin Dabeh was working with a cleaning service that was brought into Middlesex Terrace, a long-term care home in Delaware, Ont., during its COVID-19 outbreak.

Middlesex Terrace is represented by Unifor Local 302, but Dabeh was not a member, the statement said.

His death was reported by the Middlesex-London Health Unit on Saturday when three deaths were reported in the region. The other two involved a man in his 60s and a woman in her 80s, all of which were associated with a long-term care home.

According to the MLHU, Dabeh was the youngest person in the region to die of COVID-19.

“This is a very rare occurrence where (someone) recently diagnosed with COVID-19 passes away,” said Dr. Alex Summers, the associate medical officer of health with the MLHU.

“When someone who is younger passes away, I think it reminds us (how) tragic this pandemic really is.”

MLHU data indicates a facility wide COVID-19 outbreak was declared at Middlesex Terrace on Dec. 23. There’s no word on how many staff and residents have been infected.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Yassin,” said Mary Raithby, the CEO of APANS Health Services, in a statement to Global News.

APANS Health Services operates five homes across Ontario, one of them being Middlesex Terrace.

The long-term care home’s website indicates it provides “104 long-term care beds and one respite bed to the seniors of local communities.”

Saturday marked the 23rd day in a row the region had reported a COVID-19-related death.

— More to come…

-With files from 980 CFPL’s Sawyer Bogdan