Peel Public Health is collaborating with Canadian and international health agencies to prepare for the risk of coronavirus in the region.

At a Jan. 23 Region of Peel council meeting, Dr. Jessica Hopkins, Peel's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said the overall risk in Ontario and in Mississauga and Brampton is low.

However, Ontario health officials have since confirmed two presumptive case of the Wuhan coronavirus in Toronto.

On Dec. 31, health authorities were notified of a cluster of cases of the virus in Wuhan, China, and new cases have been discovered daily.

"Right now, person to person spread is limited. However, we are early in the outbreak, so this is continuing to be closely monitored," Hopkins said.

Public Health is receiving information regularly from China, where there have been at least 600 cases and dozens of deaths as of Jan. 24, and are collaborating with the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Ministry of Health and Public Health Ontario.

"We're also actively working with partners in (paramedics services) and hospitals to ensure appropriate identification and investigation of patients suspected to have novel coronavirus," Hopkins told council.

The coronaviruses are party of a larger family of viruses that can cause symptoms ranging from those similar to the common cold, to fever, cough, shortness of breath and pneumonia.

Hopkins said steps to prevent the spread of a respiratory virus include staying home if you're sick, staying away from other people who are ill with respiratory viruses, covering your coughs and sneezes with your sleeve, and washing your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

She noted that public health agencies were able to improve and advance emergency planning and response protocols after the SARS epidemic in 2003.