A day after announcing Ontario's fifth presumptive case of COVID-19, public health officials have confirmed the patient's husband has also tested positive for the deadly virus.
The man, who is in his 60s, is in self-isolation in Toronto. He is the province's sixth presumptive case of COVID-19.
"We are working alongside Toronto Public Health, who is now and will continue to be in regular contact with this individual during their self-isolation period," Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The man's wife, also in her 60s, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after going to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre's emergency department with symptoms consistent with the virus on Monday. She had returned to Canada from Iran nine days before going to hospital.
Williams stressed Toronto Public Health officials are "actively engaging" in contact tracing and case management, including following up with the man and his close contacts.
"The risk of being infected with COVID-19 continues to be very low for Canadians and for Ontarians in particular," said Williams.
Prior to this couple's diagnosis, three other people from Toronto - a married couple and a woman in her 20s - and a Western University student in London tested positive for COVID-19. All four had recently returned to Canada from China. The married couple and the Western student have since recovered from the illness. The woman in her 20s remains in self-isolation at home.