New case of COVID-19 confirmed in Toronto, health officials say

TORONTO – Ontario’s newest case of the novel coronavirus has now been confirmed as positive, though health officials say her illness is mild.

The woman in her 20s recently returned from China and had an intermittent cough that had been improving.

Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health, says the case is a “low positive” and initially came back as borderline, or inconclusive.

Toronto’s medical officer of health says the woman had been in China since late last year, had travelled to Wuhan – the epicentre of the outbreak – before it was quarantined, then went elsewhere in the country before returning to Canada on Feb. 21.

Dr. Eileen de Villa says the woman is doing quite well so she is at home in self-isolation until two tests at least 24 hours apart show she has no more virus in her system.

This is Ontario’s fourth case of the virus known as COVID-19 and Canada’s 10th case.

An outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was docked in Yokohama, Japan, saw 47 Canadians infected.

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