One woman has tested positive for the new coronavirus in Toronto, the province’s chief medical officer confirmed Sunday night.

The woman was cared for at North York General Hospital for an “intermittent cough that was improving” and was isolated while being tested for COVID-19, the statement read. Being mildly ill, she was then discharged and sent home and, per protocols, went into self-isolation.

The Public Health Ontario Laboratory confirmed Sunday that the laboratory testing for COVID-19 is presumptive positive, with the sample now being sent over to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg for confirmation.

On Friday, the woman arrived on a flight in Toronto from China and wore a mask throughout her travels back to the city and, since landing, had very little exposure to other people, according to the release.

According to Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer, there is a low chance that she was infectious. Still, the province is working with local public health units to ensure that passengers seated next to the woman on the plane are contacted and looked after.

“Because of all the proper protocols and procedures that are in place to contain this virus and exposure to others was limited, I want to assure the public that the risk to Ontarians remains low,” said David Williams, the province’s chief medical officer. “Protecting the health and well-being of individuals and families across the province remains our top priority and we continue to vigilantly monitor for and contain any and all new cases.”

This is the city’s third case and province’s fourth. Ontario’s first three cases were resolved as each patient has now tested negative for the virus.

“Our health officials are clear that the risk to residents continues to remain low,” Mayor John Tory said.

Tory said Toronto Public Health is continuing to work closely with provincial and federal health colleagues to monitor the situation and respond as appropriate.

Elsewhere in Canada, there are currently six known cases of the illness in B.C., most recently a woman in her 30s who returned to the province last week from travelling to Iran.

Provincial health officials say the woman’s presumptive case was relatively mild, and a number of her close contacts were already in isolation.

Far more Canadians are affected by the virus outside of this country. An outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship saw 47 Canadians infected.

The cruise ship was docked in Yokohama, Japan, and placed under quarantine. People who were diagnosed with the illness are being treated at hospitals there, while those without symptoms were flown back to Ontario on Friday, where they’re going through another 14 days of isolation.

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With files from The Canadian Press

Osobe Waberi is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @OsobeWaberi

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