A notice claiming there has been a possible COVID-19 exposure at Lansdowne Centre has been circulating widely on social media.
A spokesperson for T&T Supermarket confirmed to the Richmond News that the company received the notice from Lansdowne Centre Monday. Another tenant at the mall, who operates a restaurant, also confirmed they had received the notice via email, but did not wish to speak further.
However, not all tenants say they have received the letter, dated Monday, July 13. The Richmond News has reached out to Lansdowne Centre for confirmation, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The notice, addressed to Lansdowne tenants, says that the centre has been “potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus through an individual, or a group of individuals, either visiting or working in the building.”
While an unspecified individual has been in contact with someone who has a “confirmed case of the coronavirus,” according to the notice, there are currently no suspected or presumptive positive cases at the mall.
“We are actively working with the tenant, and other involved parties, to confirm all details, and have provided them with the appropriate resources to address the situation,” reads the notice.
“There is currently no confirmed risk to our building’s occupants.”
However, the owner a restaurant in the mall, who asked to remain anonymous, told the News that he never received the notice from management, despite being at his restaurant all of Monday.
He said he only became aware of the letter after he returned home and began receiving messages from friends, who sent him the social media photo of the notice and suggested he self-quarantine. He added that he is trying to contact Lansdowne Centre management about the situation.
The owner also told the News he is aware of at least one other restaurant owner who didn’t receive the letter.
The notice states that, in the meantime, any affected premises within the mall will be disinfected as part of the mall’s “precautionary measures,” while an unnamed business has been “professionally disinfected already and will be safe for use soon.”
Management also states in the notice that COVID-19 causes “only mild to moderate symptoms, such as fever or cough,” and that most people recover, however, some people – such as older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions – can develop more severe illness and may require medical attention.
“The health and safety of our occupants is our top priority and our property management team is in continuous contact with our risk management team to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information,” the notice reads.
Dr. Meena Dawar, Richmond’s medical health officer, said all cases of COVID-19 are reported to health authorities, which will alert the public if there is any health risk.
“Please reach out to (public health) first before issuing notices,” Dawar told the Richmond COVID-19 Community Task Force.
She said some retailers might be working with limited information but public health can assess any risks to the public.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is reaching out to Lansdowne to clarify what the situation is.
Meanwile, according to a spokesperson for VCH, there are cases where businesses notify customers as a part of best practices in response to a potential exposure to COVID-19 in their establishment.
However, if the risk is small, the health authority doesn’t need to take any further measures, such as issuing a public notice, said the spokesperson.
The News will update this story as more information becomes available.
- With files from Nono Shen, Maria Rantanen
