Earlier today there were provincial and federal press conferences held regarding the 2019 novel coronavirus. Currently, there are only two confirmed cases of this virus in Toronto. Both of these people are recovering well at home in isolation and Toronto Public Health staff continue to connect with them directly to monitor their symptoms and ensure that they remain isolated at home. I want to remind residents that at this time the risk to our community remains low.
I continue to receive questions from the public and the media on this situation as it relates to Toronto. I am grateful that people are reaching out to get informed with the latest facts and I encourage others to do the same. I am therefore providing this update, as it relates to our city.
While I truly appreciate that this situation and the associated uncertainties are stressful for many people, I think it is important to remember that the novel coronavirus was only identified about a month ago. The science on this matter is quickly unfolding, and it is being updated and shared with health experts expeditiously. As your Medical Officer of Health, I see this as good news and it gives me great reassurance and confidence in our public health system.
As I have stated many times, I cannot over emphasize the importance of using evidence-based sources to get informed about this evolving situation. We continue to update our website frequently as new facts are confirmed. I encourage you to contact our hotline to speak with a health professional for any questions you may have. You can reach us at 416-338-7600, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Translation is available in many languages.
The risk to our community remains low and I will let you know directly if this changes. For more information, please visit http://www.toronto.ca/coronavirus.
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