Canada has detected the first two cases of the novel strain of coronavirus – Telam

Canada has detected the first two cases of the new strain of coronavirus discovered in the United Kingdom, health authorities said on Saturday.

“The cases are a couple who have no history of travel, exposure (to the virus) or high risk contactsOntario’s most populous province’s ministry of health said in a statement.

The couple were placed in isolation, the note quoted by the AFP news agency said, the same day Ontario reinstated a multi-week lockdown due to a surge in positive cases.

Canada has suspended all flights from the United Kingdom until January 6 after the appearance in this European country of the new strain of the virus.

Several countries announced on Saturday that they had identified confirmed cases of the British variant, such as Italy, Sweden, Spain and Japan, after infections previously reported by France, Germany, Lebanon or Denmark.

he discovery of these early cases in Canadian province “reinforces the need for Ontarians to stay at home as much as possible and to continue to adhere to public health guidelinesin particular the containment measures in the province, which entered into force today, ”recalled Barbara Yaffe, deputy director of the local health authorities.

The repackaging in Ontario, which has 14 million inhabitants and whose capital is Toronto, will last 28 days in the south of the province and 14 in the northern part.

The new rules in particular prohibit private gatherings indoors beyond the family circle.

Essential businesses, such as grocery stores or drugstores, may remain open, but other establishments, such as restaurants, should be limited to shipping orders or home delivery.

Canada has recorded more than 534,000 cases and more than 14,700 deaths from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to the latest official report.