Public health officials say risk of contagion is low as Canada reports 4th case of coronavirus
Public health officials in Canada confirmed another person tested positive for coronavirus on Friday as countries around the globe worked to contain the spread of the disease.
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to four — three in Ontario and one in B.C.
The most recent case is a woman in her 20s who attends university in London, Ont. She tested positive for the virus after returning from a trip to Wuhan, China, on Jan. 23, Ontario public health officials said on Friday.
WATCH: Prime Minister Trudeau speaks at a Lunar New Year event
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is attending a Lunar New Year event in Scarborough, a suburb of Toronto, today at a Chinese restaurant. He is expected to deliver remarks around 10:30 a.m.
The appearance comes three days after officials in Toronto warned against the rise of racism and xenophobia against Chinese Canadians as fears of the virus spread.
In China, where the outbreak originated, the number of confirmed cases rose above 11,000 on Saturday, with the death toll at 259.
Worldwide, infections have been reported in at least 24 countries outside of mainland China.
But while case numbers are increasing rapidly in China, there’s been no widespread transmission outside that country.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, which is working alongside provinces and territories to monitor the novel coronavirus, says the risk to Canadians is low.
Health Minister Patty Hajdu declined to declare a public health emergency yesterday, despite the U.S. doing so. She told CBC’s Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos that Canada was closely following the guidelines of the World Health Organization.
Meanwhile, the federal government is working on a plan to bring home Canadians from the coronavirus-affected region of Wuhan.
Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne spoke with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday about the logistics for a planned airlift.
Air Canada joined airlines around the world in cancelling flights all flights to Beijing and Shanghai until at least the end of February.
