The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has added another round of Vancouver flights to its list of public COVID-19 exposures.
The public health agency on Saturday, Nov. 21 warned passengers who travelled aboard the following six flights that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus responsible for the ongoing global pandemic while flying in or out of YVR recently:
- Nov. 15: Air North 573, Whitehorse to Vancouver (Affected rows 1-6)
- Nov. 14: WestJet 706, Vancouver to Toronto (Affected rows 23-29)
- Nov. 12, Air Canada 241, Edmonton to Vancouver (Affected rows 23-29)
- Nov. 12, Air Canada/Jazz 8183, Vancouver to Fort St. John (Affected rows 5-11)
- Nov. 10, Air Canada 302, Vancouver to Montreal (Affected rows 32-36)
- Nov. 9: Air Canada 123, Toronto to Vancouver (Affected rows 23-29)
This update comes following numerous B.C. flights that have been identified in recent days for carrying one or more individuals who have since tested positive for the virus.
Saturday's additions to the list also come just two days after B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry implemented new orders instructing British Columbians to avoid any on-essential travel outside their home health region until Dec. 7.
Your flight has been identified for having COVID-19 on board. What next?
The BCCDC is encouraging travellers who recently returned to B.C. to check the public health agency's website for updates about flights identified for potential exposures. Passengers who flew aboard on a domestic flight flagged for carrying a COVID-19 case are in turn encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following their flight.
Any passengers who have travelled outside of Canada, meanwhile, are required to self-isolate and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days upon their arrival.
Any returning travellers who develop symptoms following their arrival in Canada should get tested for COVID-19. Individuals who test positive are required to self-isolate for a minimum of 14 days from their arrival date, or 10 days after onset of symptoms, whichever is longer.
While self-monitoring for symptoms of the virus— which may include fever, cough, chills, sore throat, loss of sense of smell or taste and many more—individuals should take and record their temperature daily, and avoid taking fever-reducing medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen if possible, for 14 days following their return to Canada or last known exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case. The average normal body temperature taken orally is about 37°C, according to the BCCDC.
For more information about self-monitoring and self-isolation, head to the BCCDC's website.
Pandemic devastating travel industry
The country's two largest airlines ended their onboard seat distancing policies on July 1, raising health concerns amid a pandemic that has devastated the travel industry.
Some people continue to take to social media to ask why airlines are permitted to ignore physical distancing protocol while other businesses must adhere to them; others simply say they won't travel with airlines that don't have distancing policies in place.
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, the government continues to discourage Canadians from any non-essential travel outside Canada until further notice. Officials have implemented a global travel advisory that effectively "overrides other risk levels ... with the exception of any risk levels for countries or regions where we advise to avoid all travel."
With files from The Canadian Press, Lindsay William-Ross and Elana Shepert
