Here’s a round-up of Canada’s reaction to the virus. Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says the WHO declaration of COVID 19 as a pandemic comes as no surprise. She says the government had already been preparing as if the spread of the disease were a pandemic.
She says those preparations including pulling together the $1-billion package announced today to address the fallout, including more money for medical supplies, equipment and research.
Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says politicians need to follow the same advice as anybody else to stop the spread of the virus – Handshakes are out, handwashing is in, and avoiding needless contact with others is key.
Champagne was supposed to travel to Pittsburgh for a meeting of G7 foreign ministers later this month but the US State Department says today that the gathering will be held by video conference instead.
Ontario has confirmed its 42nd case of COVID-19 and announced a $100-million contingency fund to deal with COVID-19. Health Minister Christine Elliott says the money will likely go toward buying more equipment such as testing kits and personal protective gear. She says it may also be used to hire more health-care staff, if needed.
A Canadian under quarantine at an Ontario military base after leaving a contaminated cruise ship in California has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Public Health Agency of Canada isn’t revealing any details about the patient’s identity.
The person seemed healthy upon leaving the Grand Princess ship in California but was found to have a mild fever and a cough in an assessment at CFB Trenton.
He or she is in isolation at the base, where hundreds of other Canadians repatriated from the cruise are also staying.
A spokeswoman for Doug Ford says the Ontario premier is not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms after attending a conference where an attendee tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also attended the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention on March 2 – the same day as the novel coronavirus patient.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says his government is looking at changing workplace rules to help workers who may need time off during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Kenney says the province is eyeing regulatory changes so people no longer need doctors’ notes to get authorization to stay at home after showing symptoms of the virus.
He says it’s also looking at whether legal clarification is needed to prevent employers from laying off people who are self-isolating.
However, Kenney says he trusts employers to do the right thing and not punish Albertans who are trying to avoid spreading the virus.
Alberta has 14 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
Laurentian University is moving all its classes online starting tomorrow.
The school in Sudbury, Ont., says it’s a response to the confirmation late Tuesday of a case of COVID-19 in the city.
An email from administrators says the school had a “major presence” at a mining conference in Toronto last week that the person with the illness attended.
Laurentian is cancelling outright activities that have to be done in person, such as class laboratory work.
Numerous universities and colleges in the United States have made similar moves in the past week.
Hamilton Health Sciences says a doctor working in its cancer centre – who lives in Halton Region outside Toronto – has tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from an international trip.
A hospital spokesperson says the doctor returned to work after the trip and was in contact with patients and staff the afternoon of March 9.
The hospital says it is now contacting people who came into contact with the doctor and she is in self-isolation at home.
Health officials in Quebec say the province is now up to eight confirmed cases of COVID-19. Quebec’s public health lab is now able to confirm cases, but if officials are unsure, a second result may be requested from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
Authorities said a presumptive case involving a cruise ship passenger has been confirmed.
Two other new confirmed cases involve a passenger returning from Miami and the Caribbean who is hospitalized at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal and someone returning from the Dominican Republic who is in self-isolation.
The world figure-skating championships in Montreal have been cancelled because of the spread of COVID-19. The championships were scheduled to run March 18 to 22 at the Bell Centre.
It is the latest sporting event that has been wiped out by the novel coronavirus.
The world women’s hockey championship, which was scheduled to start later this month in Nova Scotia, was cancelled on Saturday.
The other major winter world championship event in Canada remains on schedule: The women’s world curling championship is to start Saturday in Prince George, B.C.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault also called on schools to cancel trips to countries grappling with the novel coronavirus outbreak and said students returning from those countries should isolate themselves for 14 days.
A Montreal-area private school that caters to French expatriates has partly closed today while officials await test results for a student suspected to have contracted COVID-19.
College international Marie de France says students between the ages of 15 and 17 are affected. Other classes are proceeding as usual.
The decision announced to parents Tuesday was made by France’s consulate general in Quebec and the French Embassy in Ottawa, along with school officials.
The school, which implements the programs of the French Ministry of National Education, says if the student tests negative, classes will resume as normal. If the case is confirmed, classes will shut for 14 days with lessons continuing online.
New Brunswick has its first presumptive case of COVID-19. It involves a woman between 50 and 60 years old in the southern part of the province who recently travelled from France and is in self-isolation.
New Brunswick is the first province east of Quebec to report a presumptive case of the disease linked to the novel coronavirus.