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As the novel coronavirus outbreak was officially labelled a “pandemic” by the World Health Organization on Wednesday, Alberta’s total number of confirmed cases has risen to 19, according to the province’s top doctor.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced five new cases of the COVID-19 virus, including three in Alberta Health Services’ Calgary zone.

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Hinshaw said the province expects the spread of the illness to continue in Alberta and around the world.

Disease experts use the term pandemic to describe when an epidemic has become rampant in multiple countries and continents simultaneously. It describes how widespread an outbreak may be, not its deadliness.

All confirmed cases in the province have been travel-related.

Effective immediately, the province has requested all travellers who have recently returned from Italy to self-isolate for 14 days. Hinshaw said Alberta recommends that all travellers who have recently returned from anywhere outside Canada to consider limiting their attendance at large public gatherings and monitor for symptoms such as a fever or cough.