Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, responds to a reporter’s question while providing updates about the Andes Hantavirus and actions taken by the Government of Canada during a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on Thursday, May 14, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
According to Canada’s top health official, an individual in Ontario has tested negative for Ebola after returning from Ethiopia. She emphasized that the risk of the virus impacting Canadians remains low.
Dr. Joss Reimer, chief public officer of health, mentioned that the patient was tested out of caution after displaying symptoms similar to those seen in the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Reimer also detailed how Canada is addressing the outbreak overseas, which includes implementing new screening procedures at borders.
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The new measures include additional personnel at key entry points and screening questions regarding recent travel and any symptoms. These changes were put into effect on Wednesday.
Quarantine officers will be present at border checkpoints to evaluate incoming travelers who raise concerns during screening.
She mentioned that decisions regarding travel bans are made by cabinet members but indicated she would provide recommendations based on assessments of risks related to whether the virus is spreading further.
“It’s important that we look at how effective things like travel bans are. We need to be looking at whether or not there is any evidence that the outbreak is escaping the area that it’s currently concentrated,” Reimer says.
In a previous press briefing from Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that while the risk of Ebola remains “very high” in affected regions, it is still considered low globally.
He reported nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected fatalities linked to this outbreak.
This report by The Canadian Press was first May 22, 2026.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
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