First case of novel coronavirus confirmed in B.C.

By Ria Renouf, Jonathan Szekeres

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s now official, the first case of the novel coronavirus has officially been confirmed in British Columbia.

A presumptive case reported to the public on Monday has now been confirmed, according to a release from B.C’s Provincial Health Officer.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says tests that had been sent to the National Medical Laboratory in Winnipeg came back Wednesday afternoon, and the tests returned positive for novel coronavirus.

She says health officials remain in regular contact with the infected individual, who remains in isolation at home.

She writes, “the risk of spread of this virus within British Columbia remains low at this time. All necessary precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of infection. We have multiple systems in place to prepare for, detect and respond to prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases in the province.”

Earlier in the week, the province said a man in his 40’s, who regularly travels to China, was considered the first presumed positive case of the novel coronavirus in British Columbia.

The man lives in the Vancouver Coastal Health region and became infected on his most recent trip to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus is asked to call their doctor or 8-1-1.

Editor’s note: We have changed the headline and edited this article to correctly refer to the new virus.

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