3rd Quebecer tests positive for COVID-19 after trip to France

Quebec's public health authority announced a third presumptive case of the coronavirus COVID-19 late Thursday night, mere hours after the second case was confirmed.

Authorities say the infected person returned from a trip to France on Tuesday. After returning to Canada, they learned someone they had been in contact with in France had tested positive for the virus.

The person then called Quebec's Info-Santé (811). The person followed their recommendation and self-quarantined at home before getting tested at a hospital in the Montérégie region, near Montreal.

That test came back positive for COVID-19.

"Public health is a collective responsibility," said Quebec's deputy director of public health protection, Dr. Yves Jalbert, in a statement.

"I want to salute the exemplary collaboration of this infected person, who followed all the proper procedures for COVID-19."

The results of the test will be sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg for analysis. A diagnosis is considered presumptive until final results come back from Winnipeg.

The announcement came mere hours after the second case, a man who had recently travelled to India, was confirmed by Winnipeg.

The first case appeared in the province last Friday, when a woman who travelled from Iran to Qatar before arriving at the Montreal airport was confirmed to have the virus last Friday.

Quarantines can be enforced, says health minister

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu told CBC Montreal's Daybreak on Friday that Canadians should prepare to cope with the virus within their communities.

"We've been working really hard and trying to really target which countries are presenting the most risk," she said. "But, inevitably, viruses know no borders."

As cases are confirmed in Canada, Hajdu said the strategy will pivot to delaying the onset and spread of the virus.

That means local health authorities will work to identify the ill, isolating infected individuals and preventing them from infecting others.

If someone breaks or refuses to undergo a quarantine, they can be penalized, she said.

"If people violate a direction from public health at the federal level, there are significant penalties. That can include fines or or even criminal penalties," she said. "Of course, we don't want to have to use those kinds of powers."

"This is going to be a moment for Canadians to pull together. There will be disruption in our lives," she said.

"It will be up to all of us to make sure that we're thinking about the people in our community."

Watch Health Minister Hajdu on CBC Daybreak:

Can't see the video? Click here.