As concerns over the COVID-19 virus grow and the illness spreads closer to Thunder Bay, local health officials are providing an update on the quickly evolving situation.
Thunder Bay’s Health Unit is advising the public to not travel internationally, including the US, during March Break if you don’t have to.
If you have travelled internationally you are required to monitor your health for 14 days after arriving back in Canada.
Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janet DeMille says the situation has evolved rapidly over the last two weeks and feels we are at a tipping point
DeMille says it’s now just a matter of when the virus will arrive in Thunder Bay.
The Medical Officer of Health speculates the pandemic may be brought to Thunder Bay by people travelling.
DeMille says they are in the containment phase currently which gives them time to prepare and plan for when a case is identified in our city.
The health unit official says no one is immune to this illness and those who are at higher risk include the elderly.
According to Health Canada, Coronavirus Ed are a large family of viruses. Some cause illness in people and others cause illness in animals. Human coronaviruses are common and are typically associated with mild illnesses, similar to the common cold.
COVID-19 is a new disease that has not been previously identified in humans. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people, and more rarely, these can then spread from person to person through close contact.
Phases of Pandemic
