New presumptive case of the novel coronavirus in British Columbia

VANCOUVER — There has been a new presumptive confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in British Columbia.

B.C. health officials said Tuesday the latest case is a woman in her 50s who lives in the Vancouver area.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, the provincial health officer, says the woman had family visiting from Hubei province in China, which is at the centre of the outbreak in that country. The woman is in isolation at home and her family members are still in Canada, she said.

If it’s confirmed, it would be the fifth case in Canada, with one other case in B.C. and three in Ontario.

Henry said the woman’s family members left Wuhan before travel restrictions were put in place by the Chinese government, and they have been minimizing contact with people outside the home.

“This case is not unexpected,” she said. “It tells us that our system is working.”

For the case to be confirmed, the results must also come back positive from tests done on samples at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, but Henry said she expects the case to be confirmed.

The new coronavirus has sickened more than 20,000 people in China and killed more than 400 people.

A charter plane for Canadians in China is expected to leave on Thursday. The federal government says as of Tuesday, 308 Canadians have asked for help to leave the country but the plane has room for only about 250 passengers

The government says the evacuees will be isolated at Canadian Forced Base Trenton for 14 days after they arrive.

The Canadian Press