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Coronavirus: Wife of former Kingston, Ont., politician tests positive for COVID-19 at CFB Trenton

Assunta and John Gerretsen are among the Canadians quarantined at CFB Trenton after being repatriated from the Grand Princess cruise ship. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg

Assunta Gerretsen, wife of former Kingston, Ont., mayor and MPP John Gerretsen and mother of current Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen, says she has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Global News spoke with Assunta in a telephone interview from her quarantined room at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton in Trenton, Ont., where she has been in quarantine since the Canadian government repatriated her, her husband and 226 other Canadian passengers from the Grand Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined off the coast of California following a COVID-19 outbreak aboard the vessel.

As of Saturday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says four people have tested positive for the disease since the plane landed with the Canadian passengers a week ago.

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Assunta told Global News she believes she is the fifth case. PHAC has yet to respond to a request for comment.

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Hastings Prince Edward Public Health said it could not comment on cases at CFB Trenton, despite the base being in the region.

Assunta also said she believes more people were brought to her floor Sunday evening.

She says she has a bit of a cough and is having a hard time sleeping.

She’s been told to try and rest, and she says she is receiving great care, with visits from medical staff two to three times a day.

Assunta said she is unable to see her husband John, whose two-week quarantine started again now that his wife has tested positive for the virus.

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