TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2020) The risk of the outbreak the novel coronavirus presents to the Canadian public is quite low, Health Minister Patty Hajdu told reporters on Thursday.
"The risk still remains very low to Canadians," Hajdu said, adding there has not been a confirmed case of the virus in Canada.
Hajdu's assurances come on the heels of yesterday's announcement by Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec's public health director, that Quebec is investigating five suspected cases of the novel coronavirus.
Canada's Health Minister said that the developments in Quebec are a good sign that Canada's public health system is prepared to meet the challenges posed by virus outbreaks.
More than 600 cases have been confirmed in China and 17 recorded deaths. Confirmed cases have also been recorded in the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier on Thursday, the World Health Organization announced that it is too early to declare the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency.
