Domestic Travel Health Advice
Updated: April 28, 2003
SARS in Toronto
Health Canada advises Canadians that travel to any destination
in Canada is safe and may be undertaken in the same manner as one usually
would with respect to transport, accommodation, meals, entertainment, business
and family engagements, whether arriving from overseas or travelling domestically.
Health Canada does not normally issue travel advice with respect to domestic
travel. However, given the nature of the Canadian SARS (severe acute respiratory
syndrome) situation and to give Canadians the best available advice, Health
Canada is providing this domestic travel notice. Our advice is based on the
expertise and assessment provided by the Council of Chief Medical Officers
of Health across the country, and our comprehensive network of scientific
and medical advisors on infectious disease.
As of April 28, 2003 at 1 p.m., Health Canada received reports of 344 probable
or suspect cases of SARS in Canada. There have been 21 deaths in Canada. To
date, transmission has been limited to specific transmission settings such
as households, hospitals and specific community settings. The Province of
Ontario has reported 142 probable and 122 suspect cases of SARS. These cases
occurred in a few defined locations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) including
Scarborough Hospital - Grace Division and York Central Hospital - Richmond
Hill [for a complete list of SARS-case locations, visit the Ontario Ministry
of Health and Long-Term Care at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/index.html].
Health Canada reminds Canadian travellers that the risk of acquiring SARS
from travel to the Greater Toronto Area remains low. At this time, the only
risk factors identified with SARS cases in Canada are recent travel to affected
countries in Asia, or close contact with a person who has SARS. Close contact
includes living in the same household, providing health care to someone with
SARS, or having direct contact with respiratory secretions of a person with
SARS.
Recommendations
Health Canada continues to strongly endorse travel into and throughout the
GTA as safe and encourages travellers to maintain their business and/or personal
travel plans to the GTA.
Canadian travellers are reminded to practice good personal hygiene while
travelling. Thorough hand-washing - using hot, soapy water and lathering for
at least 20 seconds - is the single most important procedure for preventing
infections as disease-causing micro-organisms can frequently be found on the
hands.
If visiting the specific locations in the GTA where SARS cases have occurred,
travellers need to be aware of the appropriate precautions implemented at
the site in question.
Health Canada does not recommend the use of masks by the general public.
The only exceptions are: a) if a person is a suspect or probable case of SARS,
or b) if a person has close contact; with a SARS-affected individual, which
means living in the same household, providing care or having direct contact
with respiratory secretions of a person with SARS.
Health Canada will further advise the Canadian public in a timely manner
should circumstances on SARS change anywhere in the world or in Canada.
For more information...
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