Chris Fox and Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com
Published Sunday, March 8, 2020 1:31PM EDT
Last Updated Sunday, March 8, 2020 11:07PM EDT
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario now stands at 32 after health officials on Sunday confirmed four people who tested positive for the virus.
With the new cases, Toronto Public Health is now monitoring 15 people who have contracted the novel coronavirus.
A woman in her 60s, who returned from France on March 2, presented herself to Scarborough Health Network – General Site on Saturday, health officials said in a news release. The other case involves a man in his 60s who returned from Washington, D.C. on March 3 and went to North York General Hospital on Saturday.
“In both cases, the hospital took all necessary precautions and followed standard operating procedures, including testing and assessment. The patients have been discharged home where they remain in self-isolation,” officials said in a news release.
“Toronto Public Health is actively engaged in contact tracing and case management.”
Peel health officials confirmed Sunday evening the region’s third case of COVID-19 — a man in his 50’s who returned from Germany on Saturday. He was assessed at Brampton Civic Hospital.
“Thanks to the swift and careful actions of our Emergency Department, Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC), and our incident management teams, we were able to take all necessary steps to ensure we protected our staff, physicians, volunteers and community, and that the individual was cared for appropriately and effectively,” said Kiki Ferrari of William Osler Health System.
Earlier in the day, officials said a woman in her 40s, returned from Colorado on March 2 and then attended the emergency department at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.
They said the patient was discharged on the same day and has been under self-isolation at home since then.
“The hospital took all necessary precautions and followed standard operating procedures, including testing and assessment,” a news release from the Ontario Ministry of Health states. “Toronto Public Health is actively engaged in contact tracing and case management.”
Of the 32 positive cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, four have been resolved after the patients had tested negative on consecutive occasions at least 24 hours apart.
“At this time, the virus is not circulating locally,” officials said.
Three other provinces have confirmed cases of the virus — 27 in British Columbia, three in Quebec and one in Alberta.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams is expected to comment on the province’s latest case during a regularly scheduled briefing on Monday afternoon.
