Health minister Danielle McCann says while there are no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Quebec, provincial health authorities are prepared to deal with any that may come their way.
"From the beginning [of the outbreak], Quebec has been proactive and well prepared. There is no need for concern," McCann says in a statement. "The health network is working in close collaboration with all the partners concerned and we are taking all the necessary measures to protect the population. I remind people that the overall risk concerning the coronavirus remains low, and that no case has been confirmed in Quebec, to date."
She suggests even if — or when — a case is declared in the province, the risk of transmission is very low.
Meanwhile, the province has designated four institutions in the province as treatment centres for those who contract the coronavirus — including the Jewish General Hospital and the Ste. Justine Hospital in Montreal, as well as two other hospitals in Quebec City.
McCann adds that over the years, Quebec has developed highly effective protocols that are put in place whenever there's a global viral outbreak. Those protocols were developed during other global outbreaks, such as SARS, the Ebola virus, and the H1N1 flu outbreak of 2009.
Provincial health authorities are also repeating the Health Canada recommendation that travellers coming back to Canada from China's Hubei province to be quarantined for two weeks dating back to the time they left, and to monitor their symptoms.