Both the Algoma and Sudbury health units are reporting more COVID-19 cases including the first two in the Manitoulin District.
Public Health Sudbury & District communications confirm the first two cases in the Manitoulin District.
Communications do not state the two are related but state a woman in her 50s and a man in his 50s a man, are both self-isolating after returning from travelling on a cruise ship and international flight to Australia.
Another case was also reported in Greater Sudbury with a man in his 60s who had travelled internationally to Florida and tested positive on Saturday.
And late Sunday night, it was reported a woman in her 20s who had travelled internationally is in self-isolation.
Public Health Algoma Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Jennifer Loo says there are three more cases, all related to travel.
The new cases are a woman in her 40s with recent travel to Michigan and another woman in her 60s with recent travel in Florida.
Dr. Loo adds the third is a man in his 60s who travelled to a Toronto health care facility over one month ago is being treated there.
She says there are no exposures within Algoma related to that case.
PUBLIC HEALTH SUDBURY & DISTRICTS:
PUBLIC HEALTH SUDBURY & DISTRICTS: – MANITOULIN CASES:
International Flights: March 19, 2020: Sydney, Australia to San Francisco Airport on Quantas Airline flight QF73. Passengers in rows 40-44 and flight crew that may have served these rows are considered close contacts of the confirmed cases. March 19, 2020: San Francisco to Toronto International Airport on Air Canada flight AC742. Passengers in rows 17-21 and flight crew that may have served these rows are considered close contacts of the confirmed cases.
Cruise Ship: Ruby Princess – Princess Cruise lines, departing Sydney, Australia on March 8, and arriving in Sydney Australia on March 19.
TRAVEL BY MALE DIAGNOSED ON SATURDAY: March 16, 2020: Fort Lauderdale, Florida into Hamilton International Airport on Swoop flight WO719. Passengers in rows 19–23 and flight crew that may have served these rows are considered close contacts of the confirmed case. These individuals in addition to all people who have travelled outside of Canada are directed to self-isolate for 14 days from their arrival in Canada.
PUBLIC HEALTH ALGOMA: Whenever an Algoma resident tests positive for COVID-19, Algoma Public Health conducts a thorough investigation to determine how they became exposed, and whether anyone else may be at risk of exposure. For the COVID-19 disease, we identify and notify anyone who would have had close contact with the ill individual during the 14 days since they began showing symptoms. We also identify and follow-up with anyone who had close contact with the ill individual during the 48 hours before they got sick.
In this specific situation, Algoma Public Health has identified and notified all the close contacts of this individual. Although this individual did run an errand in Sault Ste. Marie two days before she became ill, there were no close contacts that were identified as a result of that single activity.
“As we prepare to see more people with COVID-19 in Algoma, this is an important reminder that anyone who is returning from recent travel could have been exposed to COVID-19,” says Dr. Loo. “To protect ourselves, we should all be practicing physical distancing by avoiding close contact with those outside of our immediate families and staying two metres away from other people. To protect our community, returning travellers must stay home for 14 days. And anyone who is ill with even mild symptoms should stay home.”