Most of the 27 people awaiting results are at home, not in hospital, Yaffe said, adding that the risk of coming into close contact with an infected person in the province remains low.

«Right now, we don’t have any evidence of this infection spreading in Toronto or in Ontario,» she continued.

Canada currently has a total of three confirmed cases — two in Toronto and a third in British Columbia.

The two Ontario cases are a husband and wife who recently travelled to Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the outbreak. The couple, both in their 50s, returned to Toronto on a China Southern Airlines flight on Jan 22.

The man is being treated at Sunnybrook Hospital, and he remains in «stable condition,» said Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer.

The woman is at home in self-isolation and «doing well,» showing no symptoms of the infection, he said. Health officials are staying in frequent contact with her.

Toronto Public Health says it has made contact with most of the people who flew in close proximity to the couple. A hotline has also been set up for anyone on the same flight who has questions or concerns about their condition.

Meanwhile, Chinese health commission officials said the virus has killed 170 people and infected more than 7,800 in that country, with an additional 12,000 suspected cases being looked at. The majority have been in Hubei province, where the city of Wuhan is located.

Dozens of cases have also been reported in 16 other countries around the world, almost all of them travel-related, according the World Health Organization.

Foreign governments have begun flying their citizens out of Wuhan, which remains under quarantine. Global Affairs Canada said there are 196 Canadians currently seeking consular help to leave China.

Meanwhile, Air Canada has suspended all flights to Beijing and Shanghai as demand for air travel to China plummets. American Airlines and British Airways have taken similar steps.