Provincial Government, Public Health Officer speak to Federal plans for Ontario quarantine for returning Canadians

A Monday update from the Provincial government and Public health Office
explored the background to Quarantine plans put in place by the Federal
Government for Canadians set to return from China

The Provincial government and Public Health Office have issued their latest statement on the British Columbia response to the coronavirus situation that is evolving out of China, using a statement form this afternoon to outline the moves recently announced by the Federal government to implement a fourteen day quarantine period at an Ontario Air Force Base for returning Canadians.

In their statement Health Minister Adrian Dix and Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry provide some background towards the Federal plans for the quarantine period.

“The federal government announced its plans to bring Canadians home from Hubei, China. In the near future, a repatriation flight will bring Canadians from Hubei province, including Wuhan city, to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton near Toronto. Each of these returning Canadians, including staff and flight crew, will remain at CFB Trenton for 14 days to receive the necessary social and medical support they may need.

We have been working closely with the federal government to ensure the repatriation process is smooth and conducted in a way that best protects the returning Canadians and the public here at home. It is expected that B.C. will be the final destination for some of the returning Canadians, and we will continue liaising with the federal government as it identifies passengers for the repatriation flight.

The returning Canadians will spend 14 days at CFB Trenton, which is the 2019 novel coronavirus maximum incubation period, so they can be assessed and monitored, and to support their transition back to Canada."

Mr. Dix and Ms. Henry also explained how the province of British Columbia has addressed testing issues and background on the findings release program.

“In B.C., we have chosen testing criteria with an intentionally low threshold to purposely ensure a wide range of people are eligible for novel coronavirus testing. On Friday, Jan. 31, we reported testing 114 samples and one confirmed case."

Updates will be published each Friday at: www.bccdc.ca

The province's complete statement of Monday can be reviewed here. 

You can keep up with some of the international developments from  our political blog D'Arcy McGee where we have been tracking both national and provincial accounts of the coronavirus findings through our Ottawa Observations Archive and that of our Victoria Viewpoints.

In British Columbia, residents can find out more information on the virus as well as on any changes to the situation in this province from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Should there be any need for information for Northwest residents, those details will be relayed through Northern Health.

Northern Health website
Northern Health Facebook page

For more notes on Health in the region see our archive page here.

For up to date notes on the Canadian and British Columbia response to the virus see our archive page here.

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