Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

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Current situation

Canada

As of March 7, 2020, 57 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Canada. In addition, the Government of Quebec (French only) reported their third case of COVID-19 and the Government of Alberta reported their second case of COVID-19. The provinces have sent their presumptive positive samples to the National Microbiology Laboratory for further testing.

Areas in Canada with confirmed cases
Province or territory Confirmed cases
Ontario 28
British Columbia 27
Quebec 2

Global

Thousands of cases of COVID-19 have been reported in China.

Aside from Canada, other countries or regions reporting cases are:

Risk to Canadians

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for Canada. Public health risk is continually reassessed as new information becomes available.

The risk to Canadian travellers abroad is generally low but will vary depending on the destination. The Public Health Agency of Canada is closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in other countries. Please consult the destination page on travel.gc.ca for the latest travel advice.

It is important for all travellers to monitor their health when they return to Canada. While abroad, you may have come in contact with the novel coronavirus. PHAC asks that you monitor your health for fever, cough and difficulty breathing for 14 days after you arrive in Canada. If you have these symptoms, call the public health authority in the province or territory you are in to inform them. They will provide advice on what you should do.

The research and data on COVID-19 continues to grow and evolve. We will continue to adapt our advice for travellers based on the latest science available.

Refer to our frequently asked questions (FAQ) for more information.

How Canada is monitoring COVID-19

The health and safety of all Canadians is our top priority.

PHAC is working with provinces, territories and international partners, including the World Health Organization, to actively monitor the situation. Global efforts are focused on containment of the outbreak in China and the prevention of further spread.

Canada's Chief Public Health Officer of Canada is in close contact with provincial and territorial Chief Medical Officers of Health to ensure that any cases of COVID-19 occurring in Canada continue to be rapidly identified and managed in order to protect the health of Canadians.

Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory has implemented testing to diagnose COVID-19 from clinical specimens. The laboratory is working collaboratively with Canadian provincial public health laboratories to ensure there is additional testing capacity in multiple jurisdictions.

As of February 25, 2020, British Columbia and Ontario are able to confirm laboratory diagnostics for the virus that causes COVID-19. For all other provinces, their results undergo additional testing at the National Microbiology Laboratory to provide further confirmation of initial laboratory findings. Please refer to information from provinces and territories for further test result summaries.

As of March 6, 2020, the National Microbiology Laboratory has confirmed 538 negative cases and 15 positive cases of COVID-19.

Table 2: National Microbiology Laboratory testing results
Negative Positive Total
538 15Table 2 - Footnote * 553

For more information, visit Canada's response page.

History

On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. The virus did not match any other known virus. On January 7, 2020, China confirmed COVID-19.

See the travel health notice for more information if you are considering travelling to China.

Related links

Updates

Table : Updates
Title Date
Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of repatriated Canadians from quarantine following 14-day stay at the NAV CENTRE 2020-03-06
Prime Minister creates committee on COVID-19 2020-03-04
Update: special immigration measures expanded to applicants in Iran and South Korea affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) 2020-02-29
Update #6: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of selected individuals from quarantine for the 2019 novel coronavirus 2020-02-26
Update: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of repatriated Canadians from quarantine following 14-day stay at CFB Trenton 2020-02-25
Update #5: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of selected individuals from quarantine for the 2019 novel coronavirus 2020-02-23
Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of repatriated Canadians from quarantine following 14-day stay at CFB Trenton 2020-02-21
Government of Canada repatriates Canadians and their families from Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan 2020-02-21
Government of Canada evacuating Canadians on board Diamond Princess cruise ship 2020-02-15
Update #4: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of selected individuals from quarantine for the 2019 novel coronavirus 2020-02-15
Update #3: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of selected individuals from quarantine for the 2019 novel coronavirus 2020-02-12
Government of Canada repatriates more Canadians and their families from Wuhan, China 2020-02-11
Update #2: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of selected individuals from quarantine for the 2019 novel coronavirus 2020-02-10
Community Safety a Top Priority in 2019-nCoV Repatriation Efforts 2020-02-10
Update: Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer on the release of selected individuals from quarantine for the 2019 novel coronavirus 2020-02-10
Canada supports China's ongoing response to novel coronavirus outbreak 2020-02-09
Statement from the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada on the release of selected individuals from quarantine for 2019 novel coronavirus 2020-02-09
Government of Canada repatriates Canadians and their families from the epicentre of the 2019-nCoV outbreak in China 2020-02-08
Government of Canada evacuating Canadians from Wuhan, China 2020-02-02
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convenes the Incident Response Group for an update on the coronavirus situation 2020-02-02
Statement by Foreign Affairs Minister on travel to Hubei Province in China 2020-01-26
Statement by the Minister of Health on the First Presumptive Confirmed Travelled-Related Case of New Coronavirus in Canada 2020-01-25
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