Ontario Protecting Students from Emerging Issue of the Wuhan Novel Coronavirus

Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following statement in response to the first presumptive case of the Wuhan novel coronavirus in Ontario and following a briefing of the province’s directors of education:

“The health and well-being of Ontarians, including and especially our students and school staff, is our number one priority. To that end, earlier today Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, and Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, briefed Ontario’s directors of education on the province’s extensive protocols to monitor, detect and contain any cases of the Wuhan novel coronavirus.

Ontario continues to work directly alongside our partners at the Public Health Agency of Canada and local public health units to monitor the situation closely. Newly strengthened protocols for identification and control are working to keep the public safe.

We want to assure students, parents and school communities that officials at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education are working together in close cooperation with our partners in both the education and health care sectors to ensure the continued safety and well-being of students and staff.”

To help educate Ontarians about Wuhan novel coronavirus, how they can protect themselves and what to do if they suspect they may be at risk, the province has launched a dedicated webpage.

This Media Release