Viewing cable 03OTTAWA1155, WGSARS: Canada-wide Status Report April 24

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UNCLAS OTTAWA 001155 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WGSARS, OES/PCI, WHA/CAN (RUNNING) 
 
HHS FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, OFFICE OF 
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (STEIGER) 
 
CDC for Global Health Office (Cox) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO AMED CA SARS
SUBJECT: WGSARS: Canada-wide Status Report April 24 
(Number 6) 
 
Ref. (A) Ottawa 1139 (SARS Canada-wide Report #5) 
 
 (B) Toronto 1185(Ontario SARS Update #16) 
 
¶1. The WHO Travel Advisory released on April 23 that 
recommended against travel to Toronto precipitated 
vigorous dissent from the Federal Health Minister Anne 
McLellan, from Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman and from 
provincial and federal public health officials (ref B). 
Deputy Prime Minister John Manley described the WHO 
advisory as "unwarranted", although Prime Minister 
Chretien has not joined the fray as he is out of the 
country on vacation. On April 23 Health Canada sent 
WHO a letter which formally challenged the WHO Travel 
Advisory decision. 
 
¶2. Meanwhile, for a brief period on April 23 the 
Minister of Health of the province of Nova Scotia, in 
an address to members of the provincial legislature 
urged residents of that province to heed the WHO travel 
advice and avoid travel to Toronto. The Nova Scotian 
Minister back-tracked after several hours. 
 
¶3. As of 13:00 Eastern Daylight Saving Time, April 22, 
2003 Health Canada has received reports of 324 probable 
or suspect cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome 
(SARS) in Canada. To date, transmission has been 
limited to specific transmission settings such as 
households, hospitals and specific community settings. 
The details of the cases to date are as follows: 
 
-- Ontario is reporting 136 probable and 125 suspect 
cases. This is an increase of 1 probable and 1 suspect 
case since Report #5. (See Toronto reporting for 
greater detail. All the 15 Canadian deaths have been 
linked to the Toronto nexus, 14 probable cases and 1 
suspected case.) 
 
-- British Columbia is reporting 4 probable and 47 
suspect cases. This is an increase of 6 suspect cases 
since Report #5., see also paragraph 4. 
 
-- New Brunswick is reporting 2 suspect cases. (No 
change.) 
 
-- Saskatchewan is reporting 1 suspect case. (No 
change.) 
 
-- Alberta is reporting 5 suspect cases. (No change) 
 
-- Prince Edward Island is reporting 4 suspect cases. 
(No change.) 
 
¶4. According to Press reports, Public Health officials 
in British Columbia are attempting to locate passengers 
who arrived in Vancouver on April 19 on a China 
Airlines flight from New Delhi, India, via Taipei, 
Taiwan. Eight of the passengers have subsequently 
developed symptoms of SARS. The flight may have 
carried as many as 250 passengers. Of the passengers 
who have developed signs of SARS, a two-year-old girl 
and an adult have been hospitalized while the other six 
remain in home isolation. 
 
Cellucci