It is a woman from the Montreal region who returned on Monday from a trip to Iran. The lady presented herself to an unidentified hospital the night of her return to Canada.
She has been tested positive. The sample was returned to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for confirmation. According to Minister McCann, the results should be available on Sunday.
The patient felt well enough to be sent back to her home where she will remain in segregation.
“The management of the infected person went well, which shows that our intervention protocols work,” said Minister McCann during a press conference held simultaneously in Montreal and Quebec.
“There is no need to worry, the risk remains low,” she added.
The woman arrived in Quebec on Monday after a stopover in Doha, Qatar. The examinations were carried out on Tuesday and the positive result for the new coronavirus – called COVID-19 – was reported on Thursday afternoon.
According to the Deputy Director General of Public Health Protection, Dr. Yves Jalbert, the lady has not been to work or has not taken public transportation since her return to Quebec.
The authorities will seek the people with whom this lady has been in close contact. Her immediate family is already in voluntary isolation.
An approach is underway regarding his travel by plane, “in order to identify the people who were near this person on the plane, and to intervene with them,” said Mr. Jalbert.
“What people are asked to do is take simple hygiene measures – like washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth if you have a cough. We have a probable case that has happened, with very mild symptoms, and we have still managed to make a diagnosis, so it is extremely reassuring what we have seen today, ”he said.
“We are taking all the necessary measures for this situation, but the overall risk remains low despite the first probable case in Quebec,” added Mr. Jalbert.
On Thursday, there were still 21 people under investigation in the province.
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