Canadian health authorities on Monday confirmed the country’s first case of a deadly coronavirus that originated in China and said the patient’s wife had also tested positive.

The woman’s case is still listed as “presumptive,” pending final confirmation by a national lab in Winnipeg, officials said.

Nearly 20 people are being monitored.

The patient confirmed to have the virus — a man in his 50s who arrived in Toronto on January 22 from Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic — is being treated in isolation in a hospital there.

His wife, who traveled with him, also is believed to have contracted the virus and is in self-isolation, David Williams, Ontario province’s chief medical officer, said in a statement.

He qualified the risk to others in Ontario as “low,” given that the woman has been in self-isolation.

“We also have 19 persons under investigation for whom results are pending,” Barbara Yaffe, the province’s associate chief medical officer, told reporters.

“And we have ruled out about 15 or 16 as well.”

In the initial case, the man’s symptoms did not manifest when he disembarked from the plane. He only then called emergency services and disclosed his travel to Wuhan.

Health authorities had him transported to a Toronto hospital and placed in isolation, Theresa Tam, head of Canada’s public health agency, said Sunday.

She said passengers who sat near the man on a China Southern Airlines flight were being contacted, adding that those more than two meters (yards) away from him have no reason to be concerned.

Late Monday Canada’s foreign ministry issued a warning to “avoid all travel” to China’s Hubei province, which includes Wuhan.

The United State has issued a similar advisory.

In China, the toll taken by the new virus jumped to 106 dead, and more than 4,000 confirmed cases, according to the latest official report.

– AFP

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Pilot system to use Mastercards for bus and train rides to start this year

The agreement between the Land and Transport Authority and Mastercard have been…

Singapore withdraws ILS, Firefly to resume flights to the Republic via Seletar Airport

Following the extension of the suspension of Singapore’s Instrument Landing System (ILS)…

遏止“tekan”文化呼声高 现假账号忙护主灭火

星期一,国防部长黄永宏在国会报告调查委员会结果,证实第一精卫营士兵在行军前晚被体罚,没有获得充足休息,成间接导致中暑身亡因素。 各大本地中英媒体皆报导,大部分网民除了惋惜年轻生命的离去,也不认同和呼吁检讨军中的“tekan”文化,甚至也有感同身受者分享经历,希望早日遏制不良霸凌风气。 不过,《网络公民》发现这些留言的网民中,却穿插着假账号,声称自己作为两个孩子的妈,感谢国防部采取行动。 这个名为Rosna Razak的假账号,留言道:组织群体庞大,难免会出现失误。但当局承诺将改善至少让我们看到一线希望。安息,年轻的孩子,感谢你为国家的付出。 另一网民Woo Soo Chen则指出,常年来已有多少霸凌个案发生,甚至延伸到其他机构,这种“tekan”文化必须遏制;但Liam Lee却认为,tekan已成军训的一部分,不可能让士兵成为经不起压力的草莓。 在《今日报》脸书,Rosna Razak也出现留言,指国防部的举措,可能一些人认为是做戏,但对于家长来说,至少看到有行动提升服役生涯的安全保障。 此外,还有另一账号Saravanan…

Philippines President, Duterte vows to revive death penalty for the country

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte have vowed to wipe out drug traffickers by…