Ontario Declares Health Emergency Over SARS

March 27, 2003

TORONTO - The Ontario government is declaring a health emergency to deal with an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, the deadly pneumonia that's affecting an increasing number of people in the province.

Ontario's chief medical officer of health says there are now 27 suspected cases of SARS.

On Wednesday, Toronto police taped off a hospital that has been at the centre of the outbreak of the mysterious illness. Officials say the security was needed to allow an out-of-province infectious disease expert to arrive by helicopter.

INDEPTH: <http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/sars.html>SARS: the mystery illness

CANADIAN CASES Ontario:
27 probable and 5 suspect cases. To date, all cases have occurred in close family contacts of travellers returning from Hong Kong or in health care workers who have cared for these cases.

British Columbia:
1 person has been hospitalized with SARS after returning from travel in southeast Asia. <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/protection/warnings/2003/2003_11update10.htm>
Source: Health Canada
Two of the three Canadians who have died of SARS were treated at Scarborough Grace Hospital.

The outbreak of SARS in Ontario is moving faster than health officials ever imagined.

Toronto's medical officer of health, Dr. Sheela Basrur, called the outbreak, "an incident of unprecedented scope and magnitude." She says the spread is so swift, health officials are taking unusual measures.

It may mean forcing thousands of people into quarantine.

Anyone who was at Scarborough Grace Hospital in the past 10 days is to be isolated at home.

That decision was made after several health care workers at the hospital showed signs of the illness.

Basrur says action needs to be taken to stop the spread immediately. "It's like a brush fire that's throwing off sparks, if you want to
control it you have to put a ring around the fire, so it does not spread further."

To help stop the spread, the provincial government has stepped in. "Premier Ernie Eves has declared that severe acute respiratory syndrome is a provincial emergency," said James Young, Ontario's commissioner of public safety.

Most of the SARS cases are in the Toronto area. There is another suspected case in British Columbia. And now a man in Ottawa is suspected of having the illness.

The Saskatoon Health District is also reporting "a possible case" of SARS. A patient at Royal University Hospital has been isolated and staff are wearing protective masks.

In the House of Commons, Canadian Alliance health critic Rob Merrifield wanted to know "under what circumstances would the health minister apply the federal quarantines act?"

Under that act, people coming to Canada who have symptoms of SARS can be detained. Health Minister Anne McLellan says there's no need for that - at least not yet.

"We're working very effectively with local authorities, at this time we don't see a need to invoke the quarantine act," she said.

Yet the number of quarantines in Toronto is increasing. Already, at least 40 households are under quarantine and that number will grow.

An intensive care unit at one of the busiest hospitals in the city has been closed, the patients inside are in isolation.

But Dr. Young, is urging people to remain calm. Unless individuals had close contact with a known case, they need not worry. "The risk for infection is very low and we don't want unnecessary panic in the community, as well," he said.

Written by CBC News Online staff

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/03/26/quarantine030326