This comes as Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting its fourth confirmed case of COVID-19, a woman in her 70s.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe says the case is unrelated to the previous three and stems from travel, adding the individual wore a mask during all her air travels and immediately self-isolated upon returning to Canada, staying home since she was tested last Wednesday.
The health unit notes she flew from Fort Myers, Florida, to Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Air Canada flight AC1975 last Tuesday, March 17th - flight crew and passengers from rows 22 to 26 are considered close contacts and urged to self-isolate - and she flew that same day from Toronto to the Greater Sudbury Airport on Air Canada flight AC8611, with flight crew and passengers in rows 1 to 4 considered close contacts.
While the health unit confirms the woman was assessed at Sudbury's Health Sciences North, it won't comment on what community she's from - the unit's coverage area includes Chapleau - but the health unit emphasizes it is identifying and informing close contacts, so anyone not contacted by Public Health Sudbury and Districts should not assume they're a close contact, though everyone is urged nonetheless to practice social distancing - staying at least two metres or six feet from others - and to frequently wash hands with soap and water.