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TORONTO — The number of cases of novel coronavirus in Ontario climbed to 20 on Tuesday as provincial health officials recorded two new positive tests from people with recent travel histories to affected countries.
The latest cases followed a pattern that’s emerged during the rash of new positive tests, which saw the provincial total climb rapidly in the past week.
Dr. David Williams, the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, said the two latest people to test positive for the virus dubbed COVID-19 had recently returned from trips to Iran and Egypt. Other recent patients, including three announced on Monday, either had a similar travel history or were closely related to those who did.
“At this time, the virus is not circulating locally,” Williams said. “The province continues to carefully monitor this situation.”
Williams said the first of the new Ontario cases involves a woman in her 70s living in York Region north of Toronto. He said she returned from Egypt on Feb. 20 and reported to a hospital in Richmond Hill, 10 days later.
The other new case involves a Toronto-area man in his 50s who returned from Iran on Feb. 25 and went to hospital on Feb. 29. Both patients were released and are now in self-isolation at home, he said.
Ontario’s first four COVID-19 cases were identified in people who had travelled to China, the epicentre of the global outbreak. Three of those cases have since been completely cleared of the virus.
Several countries and territories have since been added to a list of areas of concern, including Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, Iran, Singapore and South Korea.
Worldwide, more than 92,000 people have been infected, with the number of deaths now exceeding 3,100 people.
Canada’s current tally stands at 33, with officials reporting 20 cases in Ontario, 12 in British Columbia and one in Quebec.
After the most recent case was announced in B.C. on Tuesday, the province’s health minister and top public health official advised people returning from China or Iran to self-quarantine for two weeks in a bid to limit the spread of the virus.
Similar advice is coming from major Canadian corporations, including Manulife Financial Corp. and Home Depot. Those companies are restricting company travel to Asia and Italy and urging self-isolation for employees returning from personal travel to affected regions.
Canadian health officials continue to describe the risk of contracting COVID-19 as low. They maintain the best ways to prevent the spread of any virus, COVID-19 included, involve frequent hand-washing and staying home from school or work while sick.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 3, 2020.
— With Files from The Associated Press
Michelle McQuigge, The Canadian Press
