Ontario's chief medical health officer says the woman who died on a Via Rail train causing it to be quarantined "most likely did not have an infectious disease."
Six other people, including the person who was airlifted to hospital Friday with what were reported to be "flu like symptoms," also do not appear to be infectious, said Dr. David Williams at a press conference Friday afternoon.
Williams also reported that the sick passengers do not appear to have been in contact with the 60-year-old woman who died. He also noted that no tests have been done on the deceased woman and the cause of death has not been determined.
Williams said that lab tests have been done on the sick passengers and a number of infectious ailments have been ruled out. He also said that those passengers said they felt unwell before getting on the train.
A Via Rail passenger train, carrying more than 270 people, was quarantined in the northern Ontario town of Foleyet after officials notified police of a medical emergency on Friday morning.
As many as 10 passengers fell ill, suffering from flu-like symptoms.
Earlier in the day, Const. Marc Depatie had said that it was the "totality" of the circumstances that led police to believe the death and illnesses are not linked.
Authorities had said the woman was feeling unwell when she got on the train in Jasper, Alta., as part of a group of tourists.
"The woman who had expired made her way onto the train with pre-existing health issues,'' Depatie had said before Williams held his press conference.
CTV's John Vennavally Rao reported immediately after Williams' media conference that it appears the train will continue its journey sometime Friday evening, and arrive in Toronto early Saturday.
Rao told 麻豆影视net that emergency crews appeared to be leaving the area where the train had halted.
"(We're) getting the sense that things are starting to wind down," he said.
The train had been en route from Vancouver to Toronto.
The passenger who was airlifted to hospital was diagnosed with a respiratory illness and is now in stable condition, Ontario Provincial Police Staff Sgt. Rob Knox reported.
The remaining five sick passengers are said to be in good spirits and stable condition.
A spokeswoman for Via Rail told CP that the train departed Vancouver three days ago and hadn't reported any problems before Friday. The illnesses appeared to have been contained to two train cars.
For much of the day after the train had stopped, only emergency response personnel were being allowed on or off the train. A CN Rail sleep station had been evacuated.
Foleyet is a town of 380 about 100 kilometres southwest of Timmins.
VIA rail has set up a toll-free phone line so that you can check on the well-being of passengers on the train: 1-877-747-0707.
