SUDBURY -- More details are coming to light about the spread of COVID-19 to Sudbury.
Late Tuesday night, Sudbury public health officials announced the first confirmed local case of the virus at the centre of a global pandemic.
Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, medical officer of health with Public Health Sudbury and Districts, says the first northern Ontario case involves a man in his 50s who attended a very large international mining conference in Toronto last week.
The person works at the Willet Green Miller Centre building, on the Laurentian University campus, which is home to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.
Public health officials say they made the decision to close the building Wednesday for cleaning.
"Nothing has changed. The risk level has not changed. There is now advice for those who have been to that conference (PDAC 2020 convention) to monitor for symptoms, as someone travelling abroad would be asked to monitor for symptoms for 14 days. So, we continue with our preparedness within the public health system, the health sector and certainly within all of our sectors in terms of pandemic preparedness, so we are prepared for potential community spread," said Dr. Sutcliffe.
Dr. Sutcliffe says the man travelled to and from the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's convention in his personal vehicle and public health will be reaching out to anyone he might have had contact with.
In the meantime, anyone who might have attended the Toronto conference is being asked to monitor themselves for symptoms for the next 14 days.
Coronavirus newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox
As of Tuesday afternoon, Public Health was aware of seven COVID-19 tests submitted in the Sudbury district. CTV News has asked for an update on that number.
Jamie Lamothe, the communications manager for Public Health & Sudbury Districts says COVID-19 testing is done for several reasons, including surveillance and case investigation.
"Per provincial protocols, anyone who is being tested as part of case investigation is required to self-isolate until the test results are known and reassessment can occur," said Lamothe.
At the time of publishing, the province says 41 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Ontario. Of those cases, five have been resolved.
As of 10:30 a.m. March 11, the total number of Ontario patients approved for COVID-19 testing to date is 3,394, 465 of those are currently under investigation and 2,888 have come back negative.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe and include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
If you suspect you have symptoms of COVID-19, call Telehealth Ontario for medical advice at 1-866-797-0000 (TTY 1-866-797-0007). If you are ill and must visit a health care professional, call ahead.
