Toronto Public Health issues update on coronavirus

Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health, advises travellers coming from China

Update on coronavirus – Canadian health officials have provided an update on the situation in Hubei Province regarding the 2019 novel coronavirus. To support global containment efforts and limit the spread of this virus, the Public Health Agency of Canada is now recommending: 

If you have travelled to Hubei Province in the last 14 days:

• Limit your contact with others for a total of 14 days from the date that you left Hubei. This means self-isolate and stay at home. 
• Contact your local public health department within 24 hours of arriving in Canada.  
• For Toronto residents, this means contacting Toronto Public Health at 416-338-7600. 

If you have travelled from mainland China in the last 14 days: 

• Monitor yourself for respiratory symptoms including fever, cough and difficulty breathing. 
• Should these respiratory symptoms develop within 14 days after returning to Canada, seek medical care immediately.  
• Inform your healthcare provider or your local public health department about symptoms and travel history before seeking medical care. 

However, at this time, the risk to our community remains low and it is important to remember that this is a new virus that was identified only about a month ago.

As we learn more about this virus and how it is transmitted, global public health officials are updating their approaches in response to this new virus. 

As this is an evolving situation, we continue to remind people of the importance of using credible sources to stay informed. We continue to update our website frequently as new information is confirmed. I encourage you to contact our hotline for any questions you may have. You can reach us at 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Translation is available in many languages.  

For more information, please visit toronto.ca/coronavirus.