A woman in her 40s who travelled to Italy is Ottawa's second confirmed case of COVID-19, the province confirmed Thursday.

The woman, who is self-isolating after travelling to an unspecified region of Italy, also visited the Queensway Carleton Hospital, the Ministry of Health said.

The city's first case, a man in his 40s who had vacationed in Austria, was confirmed Wednesday.

He worked at technology company Ciena, which closed its offices in Kanata Wednesday for the rest of the week.

Ottawa Public Health said the two cases are not related.

Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's medical officer of health, says a woman who has developed COVID-19 went into self-isolation immediately after returning home March 9. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

"These are cases that are identified by travel," said Dr. Vera Etches, the city's medical officer of health.

Etches said the woman had no symptoms when she returned to Canada March 9 but nevertheless went into self-isolation. She came down with a cough and a fever the next day, Etches said.

Mild symptoms

Because of that prompt action, health officials have not been able to identify any people the woman would have come into contact with, Etches said. She did not ride public transit upon returning to Ottawa, Etches said.

In a tweet, the Queensway Carleton Hospital said "full precautions" were taken when the woman visited their emergency department, and that there was no risk to either staff or other patients.

Etches said both Ottawa patients were experiencing "mild symptoms at home."

There are now 54 confirmed cases in Ontario, with five resolved, and 13 in Quebec.

According to the latest report from the World Health Organization, there are 10,150 confirmed cases of the respiratory illness in Italy.

The Canadian government currently advises against non-essential travel there.