Ontario's Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health is not surprised the novel coronavirus outbreak has been declared a pandemic.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe said it is something they have been expecting, and they are prepared.
Ontario now has 41 cases of COVID-19, with about 100 Canada-wide.
Yaffe added a recent case is in a Sudbury man who attended a mining convention in Toronto last week.
"There were 23,000 people from many many countries, and although the risk, in general, is low, it seems that's probably where he got it. We can't say exactly from whom, but to me, this is linked to a particular activity," she explained.
She suspects the man contracted the disease at the convention, so she doesn't think it is a community case of transmission.
Health officials said the risk of contracting the virus at an event like that is still considered low.
Yaffe suggested anyone in Ontario planning a large gathering should work with local health officials on a risk assessment.
"What kind of activities are being planned. What size of gathering is it? Is it 100 people, 1,000 people, 20,000 people because those factors are very important. Where are people coming from? Are they coming from different countries, or are they all local? Are the people coming high risk? Are they older, or do they have underlying health conditions?" added Yaffe.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe she says the risk is still low, and travel plans need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.
She suggests you consider how important your plans are, if you are healthy and young, and the type of activities you have planned.
Also, find out if your employer might ask you to stay home from work for a period of time when you return. Ontario now has 41 cases of COVID-19, with about 100 Canada wide.
