VICTORIA -- The BC Centre for Disease Control says it's "closely monitoring" the international outbreak of coronavirus after a Washington state man was diagnosed with the potentially deadly illness Tuesday.
In a statement provided to CTV News Vancouver Island, the BCCDC said risk to British Columbians is still considered low.
"Most cases have been reported in Wuhan, China, but cases have also been reported in other cities in China and outside of China, including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand," B.C. CDC spokesperson Heather Amos said Tuesday.
The agency says it has developed a diagnostic test for the new virus, while health-care workers in the province have been asked to take a travel history for anyone reporting respiratory symptoms.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada is putting measures in place to screen for cases of coronavirus at Canadian airports.
U.S. health officials announced Tuesday that a Snohomish County man in his 30s returned home last week after travelling to Wuhan, in central China, where the outbreak was first detected.
The man was reportedly in good condition in an Everett hospital and while he has contracted the illness, he is not considered a threat to medical staff or the public.
The U.S. is the fifth country to report a case of the illness, following China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
With files from the Associated Press
