Niagara's Acting Medical Officer of Health says residents shouldn't have any concerns about going about their daily lives following the confirmation of Niagara's first positive case of COVID-19.
An 84 year old man tested positive for the virus yesterday after he was taken to the St. Catharines hospital by EMS on March 10th for an unrelated medical problem.
Once he arrived at the hospital further investigation revealed the man may have had symptoms the day prior, triggering further testing.
Niagara's Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji says, "There was no known exposure to anybody at the hospital beyond the health care providers who were caring for the patient."
Public Health is currently conducting an investigation into the source of the man's infection. Although the man has no recent travel history, a relative had recently returned from Portugal.
The man is receiving treatment in an isolated room. The man's relative, the paramedics, and health care providers who came in contact with him are also in self isolation.
Hirji says, "Thus far we have not identified any locations out in the public where people may have been exposed. We have identified certain persons who may have been exposed and we're following up with them."
"This news really doesn't appreciatively change our risk in Niagara and people shouldn't have any concerns about going about their daily lives." Hirji assures residents. "We've seen lots of cases around the provinces, particularly in the last few days. And so we were very much expecting at some point there would be a case in Niagara, and of course that happened last night. The risk level for people in Niagara is really based around, 'Is the virus circulating in the community?' And at this point, there's no evidence to think that or really that it's circulating anywhere in Ontario. So everybody's risk really remains low. I don't see this as really a milestone or something that has really appreciatively changing anything in Niagara, it's just another event."