114 people have been tested so far in BC for novel coronavirus

BC's provincial health officer says this province and the country are entering a critical phase in the global effort to halt the spread of a new type of coronavirus.

At a news conference in Vancouver this morning, Henry says anyone who visited China and departed before that country imposed recent travel restrictions may be incubating the flu-like virus, and could begin showing symptoms now.

She says testing is underway in BC to identify anyone who may be at risk of developing the illness, and 114 people have been checked so far, with testing expected to continue for at least another week.

One case of the novel coronavirus has been identified in BC and Henry says officials are focused on containing all cases because this is the first time this strain has jumped from animals to humans and it's important the virus does not become entrenched, like influenza.