Two more presumptive cases of the coronavirus are popping up in Alberta.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced on Sunday an Edmonton-area man in his 60’s and a Calgary-area woman in her 30’s may have the virus.
The man was a passenger on the Grand Princess Cruise Ship in California while the woman recently returned from a trip to Europe.
Hinshaw says they’re actively reaching out to anybody who may have been in contact.
“Anyone with close contact is being advised to self-isolate for a period of 14-days, any of these close contacts that have symptoms of a fever or cough will be tested.”
The first potential case of the virus, a Calgary woman who recently went on the Grand Princess Cruise Ship, has been confirmed by the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
The second case, an Edmonton man who just came back from a business trip in the United States, is expected to have happen due to a travel companion who was also on the cruise ship.
Moving forward, Hinshaw is asking all travelers to monitor all their potential symptoms.
“All returning travelers from anywhere outside of Canada need to be vigilant for illness, quickly isolate themselves if they develop symptoms and call 8-1-1 for assessment and testing.”
She adds the virus isn’t an airborne illness.
“COVID-19 does not spread like measles, it does not travel through the air over long distances and time. However, it can spread person to person by larger droplets like from a cough or sneeze.”
Because of this, people are asked to avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.
The risk of getting the virus remains low, however, this could change in the near future.
