2 Manitobans test negative for coronavirus, health minister says

Two Manitoba patients with "uncertain travel histories"tested negative for a novel coronavirusin recent days, Manitoba health officials say.

The two patients were tested out of an abundance of caution after going to a health-care facility with compatible symptoms, said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer.

While the risk of the coronavirusin Manitoba is low, health-care providers are aware of the symptoms and are implementing heightened precautions to detect, isolateand test for the virus, Health MinisterCameron Friesensaid at a news conference Tuesday.

"We knowthe risk of coronaviruscontinues to be low. However, we know that we must remain vigilantin our efforts to prepare for the possible arrival of this virus in our province," he said.

Health-care providers, 911 dispatchers and first respondershave been instructed to ask patients about their recent travel if they present with flu-like symptoms, Friesen said. The new procedure is in response to a new coronavirus, temporarily named 2019-nCoV, that originated in China, where more than 100 people have died.

The best thing people can do if they are concerned about contracting the virus is to take the basic precautions you would take to avoid getting the flu, Friesen said.

"If they do feel ill, if they are showing basic symptoms, they should see a doctor or another medical expert, and the system knows how to respond those those concerns," he said.

"This is about being prudent and vigilant and we are doing exactly those things."

Wearing a mask is not suggestedas there's no evidence it's effective in protecting people from the virus, Roussin said.

Canada's first case of coronaviruswas confirmed in Ontario this week, and health officials said Tuesday they are confident a first casein B.C. has been found.

No reported cases of the coronavirus in Manitoba

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Health officials in Manitoba say two people have been tested so far but those results came back negative.