Manitoba's top doctor says the number of people in the province who have been tested for coronavirus has more than doubled in a week.

Dr. Brent Roussin said the number is on the rise as people learn what to do if they suspect they may have come into contact with the virus.

A week ago, Manitoba's chief public health officer reported that 38 people in the province had been tested for the virus. On Thursday, Roussin said that number has risen to 97.

He said Health Links, the provincial telephone health information line, has been receiving an increased number of calls related to the virus. Some of those callers were directed to be tested, he said.

Roussin said the risk of getting COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, remains low for people in Manitoba. Meanwhile, the number of cases in Canada — all in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec — reached 37 as of Thursday. There have been no deaths in Canada connected with COVID-19.

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He said travellers returning from China's Hubei province or Iran should self-isolate for 14 days after their last known possible contact with the virus. All international travellers should watch government travel advisories before leaving, and self-monitor for two weeks after returning to Canada, Roussin said.

Roussin said the virus's spread is rapidly evolving, and people planning on travelling outside Canada should consider that before leaving.

"You're going to need to make informed decisions that a country that you're travelling to may not be on anyone's list right now, but that could change while you're away," he said. "So there's the possibility you could be in a country with limited health infrastructure. You could be finding yourself in self-isolation, should that happen."

Roussin reiterated that people should properly wash their hands to try to avoid contracting or spreading the virus. He said wearing masks — like the N95 model that is sold out in several Winnipeg stores — has no benefit for people who aren't showing symptoms.

"Soap and water is our best bet," he said.

"The big take-home message is frequent hand washing, staying home when you're sick, staying away from others who are showing those symptoms. These are very basic measures, but they've been shown over and over again to work."

No need to panic, stockpile

Lanette Siragusa, chief nursing officer for Shared Health, said that advice is different for front-line health-care workers doing certain medical procedures.

"N95 masks are important if you are doing aerosol-generating medical procedures like an intubation, so we definitely recommend that that happens," she said.

Roussin said the province is preparing for all possibilities, including that the virus might still make its way to Manitoba.

"We have to prepare for that," he said. "We're increasing our ability to test and we're preparing our health systems, should that eventuality arise."

Lanette Siragusa, chief nursing officer for Shared Health, said N95 masks are important for health-care workers doing some medical procedures. However, face masks have not been shown to have any benefit for members of the general public who aren't showing symptoms, Roussin said. (Warren Kay/CBC)

Roussin said people should consider what they might need for supplies, like medications or food, if they are forced to self-isolate.

"I think it's important to be prudent. There's certainly not any need to be panicking or stockpiling large amounts of food, but certainly think about those scenarios," he said.

"As we see more and more of this virus throughout the world, we all need to start thinking about what we would need if, say, we were needed to be isolated for 14 days or if we got sick and needed to be at home."

Roussin said people should keep in mind that self-isolation means you should avoid contact with humans and animals, including pets.