The number of coronavirus cases in Ontario has more than doubled in the past week, with the greatest number of new cases coming over the weekend. As of Tuesday, there were 20 confirmed cases in the province.
Health officials say the two latest cases are in the Toronto area from residents who recently traveled to Iran and Egypt. The individuals’ ages and genders have not been disclosed, but both are in self-isolation.
Officials say the majority of Ontario’s recent cases are from people returning from Iran, where there are close to 3,000 cases.
There are still 45 people under investigation for the coronavirus. Public health officials are trying to find any close contacts of people identified with the virus, as well as the locations they have visited.
In Toronto, public transit officials say vehicles are being cleaned daily with hospital-grade cleaning materials.
In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the coronavirus is a very real challenge and he is encouraging Canadians to take precautions.
"I can reassure Canadians that here in Canada the risk remains low, although we continue to monitor very closely and carefully what’s going on overseas. Our decisions are based on the best recommendations of experts and we’re going to continue to keep Canadians involved and informed," Trudeau said.
There are 30 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Canada. There have been no deaths.
