The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) is warning airline passengers they may have been exposed to COVID-19 on multiple recent Vancouver flights.
On Thursday, Oct. 8, Vancouver Is Awesome shared seven new Vancouver flights that were added to the list of potential COVID-19 public exposures.
Since then, the following six new flights have been added to the BCCDC's list of affected flights:
- October 1: Air Transat Flight 770, Montreal to Vancouver (Rows 11 - 17)
- October 8: Air Canada Flight 242, Vancouver to Edmonton (Rows 4 - 12 -16)
- October 8: Air Canada/Jazz Flight 8241, Terrace to Vancouver (Rows 13 - 17)
- September 30: WestJet Flight 725, Toronto to Vancouver (Rows 8 -14)
- October 4: WestJet Flight 725, Toronto to Vancouver (Rows 23 - 29)
- October 7: Air India Flight 1143, Delhi to Vancouver (Not reported)
Any travellers returning to B.C. are encouraged to check the public health agency's website for updates about flights identified for the risk of exposure. Those travelling from outside of Canada, meanwhile, must arrive prepared with a 14-day self-isolation plan.
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.
On social media, a few people 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.
Currently, the Government of Canada states that you should avoid all travel outside of the country until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a global travel advisory, the government notes that "This advisory overrides other risk levels on this page, with the exception of any risk levels for countries or regions where we advise to avoid all travel."
With files from The Canadian Press and Lindsay William-Ross.
