OTTAWA, Jan. 25, 2020 / CNW / – Today, the Honorable Patty Hajdu made the following statement:
“The province ofOntario informed the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) earlier this afternoon that she had a suspected confirmed case of the new coronavirus (nCoV-2019) linked to a trip. The person who recently returned from a trip to Wuhan, in China, has been placed in segregation and is being treated in hospital. All necessary precautions are taken to prevent the spread of the infection. This is the first case in Canada, pending confirmation of the result by the National Microbiology Laboratory of PHAC at Winnipeg.
The government of Canada has been working closely with provincial and territorial counterparts, as well as international partners, since China reported the first cases of nCoV-2019. We are therefore ready to limit the spread of this virus to Canada. Canadian hospitals have strong infection control systems and procedures that help limit the spread of infection and protect healthcare workers.
Measures to mitigate the risk of introduction and spread to Canada diseases like the new coronavirus are in place, including messages on arrival screens at international airports in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver to remind travelers to notify a border services officer if they have flu-like symptoms. A screening question in electronic kiosks used by travelers arriving from abroad was also added.
Although the risk of a new coronavirus outbreak in Canada Remain weak, I invite Canadians to inform their health care professional if they have traveled to the affected region of China and develop flu symptoms. More information on the new 2019 coronavirus can be found online at Canada.ca/coronavirus. “
The Honorable Patty Hajdu, C.P., MP
SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada
– .
