By Canadian Press

Top Ontario health official says coronavirus surveillance is widening

Feb 6, 2020 | 10:02 AM

TORONTO — Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says surveillance for novel coronavirus in the province is widening outside of those who have recently travelled to the affected regions of China.

It has now been 14 days — the maximum incubation period for the virus — since some parts of China were quarantined, so anyone returning from those regions would have likely already shown symptoms if they were infected.

But more people in Ontario are still being tested each day for the virus, and Dr. David Williams says that more and more, doctors are asking for patients to be tested who don’t strictly meet the case definition of symptoms plus recent travel to the affected area.

Williams says just because the two-week period is over, doesn’t mean officials can be complacent.

He says now the monitoring moves into a new phase, which includes addressing concerns of people who are returning from parts of China that haven’t been locked down.

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Williams says if those people are worried they have been in contact with someone who may have had the virus, they should contact their local public health department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020.

The Canadian Press