Ontario investigates if new COVID-19 case is evidence of community spread

March 11, 2020

Ontario health officials say they are investigating whether one of the province’s newest cases of COVID-19 is evidence of community spread.

The recent case is a man from Sudbury, Ont., who attended the Prospectors and Developers Association in Canada Convention on March 2 and 3 in Toronto. The conference attracts about 23,000 attendees from more than 130 countries, according to organizers.

The man in his 50s contracted the virus and is at home in self-isolation. Officials have not said if he had recently travelled internationally.

Based on their investigations, health officials have found that the man was not infectious while attending the conference in Toronto.

“To me, this is not a case of community transmission,” said Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health. She further added that although it’s unclear where exactly the man acquired COVID-19, it’s likely the man acquired it while at the conference where about 23,000 people were in attendance.

“Our working hypothesis at this time is that this individual was exposed to COVID-19 while at the conference,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Sudbury & District Medical Officer of Health in a statement.

Sutcliffe advised those who attended to monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days after leaving the conference. Officials say organizers had consulted with Toronto Public Health about protective measures ahead of the conference.

In a statement, Toronto Public Health said that large gatherings with “transient interactions,” including walking by or briefly being in the same room as a person who may be infected with COVID-19, are considered low risk.