'Not easy': Vaughan councillor shares experience with COVID-19

CP24
April 5, 2020

A Vaughan councillor who tested positive for COVID-19 says the public needs to listen to the advice of public health officials and adhere to physical distancing rules to stop the spread of the deadly virus.

"We're not immune to it. Anyone of us can get it," Ward 3 Coun. Rosanna DeFrancesca said during an interview with CP24 on Sunday.

DeFrancesca and her daughter were tested last week after her daughter was exhibiting symptoms of the virus.

"I had no plans on getting tested. I just went in this past Wednesday with my daughter, and they decided to test me as well," she said.

The mother and daughter are among the 4,038 cases of COVID-19 in Ontario. On Sunday, the province announced 408 new cases of the virus.

The councillor said she wants to put a face to the COVID-19 numbers to make the public understand how serious the situation.

"We're putting lives at risk, and there's no dollar figure you can place on human life," she said.

DeFrancesca said her symptoms were different from her daughter's. She said it started with severe aching and a headache before she developed a fever and cough later.

Her daughter had a cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, DeFrancesca said.

"I think it's not easy for any of us," the councillor said, who is currently in self-isolation.

DeFrancesca said she was not able to be with her father, who celebrated his 86th birthday. She said they are planning to celebrate together when the crisis has settled down.

The councillor said she is still has a lingering cough, but she is feeling better now.

As well, her daughter is recovering at home after being discharged from Mackenzie Health hospital on Sunday morning.

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View the Councillor’s full segment here: https://www.cp24.com/news/not-easy-vaughan-councillor-shares-experience-with-covid-19-1.4883524