Ottawa, Sep 19 (IANS): Erin O'Toole, the newly-appointed leader of Canada's Conservative Party, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, it was announced.

"This evening Erin O'Toole received a positive test for Covid-19," Xinhua news agency quoted the Party as saying in a statement on Friday night.

The statement added that O'Toole remains in isolation and is feeling well.

Shortly after the statement was issued, Quebec Premier Francois Legault, who met O'Toole face-to-face on Monday, said on Twitter that had self-isolated out of precaution.

O'Toole, who was elected on August 23, is the second Canadian political party leader to have tested positive for the virus.

On Friday morning, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet was diagnosed with the disease.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the country has so far reported 140,867 coronavirus cases with 9,200 deaths.

An average of 849 new cases have been reported daily during the past seven days, the agency added.