Second coronavirus case in Toronto confirmed by national lab

Jan 29 2020, 3:45 pm

The Province of Ontario has confirmed its second case of the Wuhan novel coronavirus.

Following a positive test for the virus at Ontario’s public health laboratory, the wife of the province’s first case has tested positive at the national lab.

Since arriving in Toronto with her husband, the second patient had been in self-isolation.

Both the man and woman are reportedly in their mid-50s.

The government says it currently has 23 cases under investigation.

Government of Ontario

On Saturday, the provincial government confirmed its first “presumptive case” of coronavirus at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital.

They said the patient, a man in his 50s, was screened and recent travel history to Wuhan, China, was confirmed and the patient was immediately put under isolation. He was later confirmed to be the first case of coronavirus in Ontario.

Toronto Public Health said that the man recently returned from Wuhan, China on China Southern Airlines flight CZ311, which arrived in Toronto on January 22 from Guangzhou.

It has since established a hotline for people who were on this flight, and the public health agency said that travellers may call Toronto Public Health at 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with any questions.

Both the Ontario government and Toronto Public Health added that the risk to the community remains low.

Over the weekend, the province launched a website dedicated to coronavirus in Ontario.

The first presumptive case of coronavirus in BC was confirmed on Tuesday, and was the first case found outside of Ontario.

Health officials in BC said the patient is in his 40s and regularly travels to China for work. He was in Wuhan last week on a work trip.

Symptoms of the illness include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, and most cases have been linked to the Huanan Seafood Market (also known as Wuhan South China Seafood City and South China Seafood Wholesale Market), according to the Government of Canada.

Daily Hive StaffDaily Hive Staff

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