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BCCDC reports 65 COVID-19 exposures on flights to Vancouver

Over the last five days the BC Centre for Disease Control identified exposures dating back as far as Dec. 28 and as early as Jan. 8
Cameron Thomson
Cameron Thomson
airport COVID mask flight
A traveller wears a face mask while waiting for flight at an airport during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Getty Images

Over the course of five days the BC Centre for Disease control has identified 65 flights coming into Vancouver with confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

In a series of tweets published on Jan. 9, 10 and 13, the public health agency warned passengers that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 while travelling aboard the following flights:

  • Dec. 28: Air Canada 1231, Puerto Vallarta to Vancouver (Affected rows 1-4)
  • Dec. 29: AeroMexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver (Affected rows 3-15)
  • Dec. 30: Air Canada 116, Vancouver to Toronto  (Affected rows 33-39)
  • Dec. 30: Flair 8134, Vancouver to Toronto (Affected rows 12-18)
  • Dec. 30: Air Canada 116, Vancouver to Toronto (Affected rows 33-39)
  • Dec. 31: Air Canada 107, Toronto to Vancouver (Affected rows 3-7 and 30-36)
  • Dec. 31: Air Canada/Jazz 8576, Vancouver to Saskatoon (Affected rows 22-28)
  • Dec. 31: Flair 8712, Prince George to Vancouver (Affected rows 13-19)
  • Jan. 1: WestJet 711, Toronto to Vancouver (Affected rows 30-36)
  • Jan. 1: Air Canada/Jazz 8576, Vancouver to Saskatoon (Affected rows 22-27)
  • Jan. 1: WestJet 3282, Prince George to Vancouver (Affected rows 3-9)
  • Jan. 2: AeroMexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver (Affected rows 21-30)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 45, Delhi to Vancouver (Affected rows 2-8)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 106, Vancouver to Toronto (Affected rows 50-55)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 202, Vancouver to Calgary (Affected rows 1-4 and 12-14)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 228: Vancouver to Calgary (Affected rows 19-25)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 45, Delhi to Vancouver (Affected rows 2-8)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 106, Vancouver to Toronto (Affected rows 50-55)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 202, Vancouver to Calgary (Affected rows 1-4 and 12-14)
  • Jan. 3 Air Canada 195, Toronto to Victoria (Affected rows 19-25)
  • Jan. 3 Air Canada/Jazz 8572, Vancouver to Regina (Affected rows 13-19)
  • Jan. 3 WestJet 3387, Calgary to Kelowna (Affected rows 1-6)
  • Jan. 3: Air Canada 228, Vancouver to Calgary (Affected rows 19-25)
  • Jan. 3: Delta/WestJet 6329/3295, Calgary to Victoria (Affected rows 10-16)
  • Jan. 4: Air Canada 115, Toronto to Vancouver (Affected rows 40-46)
  • Jan. 4: KLM 681, Amsterdam to Vancouver (Affected rows 17-26 and 33-39)
  • Jan. 4: Swoop Airlines 106, Abbotsford to Hamilton (Affected rows 18-24)
  • Jan. 4: Swoop Airlines 410, Toronto to Kelowna (Affected rows 25-31)
  • Jan. 4: WestJet 706, Vancouver to Toronto (Affected rows 13-19)
  • Jan. 4: Air Canada 221, Calgary to Vancouver  (Affected rows 28-33)
  • Jan. 4: Air Canada 555, Los Angeles to Vancouver (Affected rows 16-22 and 25-29)
  • Jan. 4: United Airlines 1614, Denver to Vancouver (Affected rows not reported)
  • Jan. 4: Air Canada 311, Montreal to Vancouver (Affected rows 37-42)
  • Jan. 4: WestJet 3315, Calgary to Comox (Affected rows 12-18)
  • Jan. 5: Air Canada 244, Vancouver to Edmonton (Affected rows 25-31)
  • Jan. 5: Air Canada 302, Vancouver to Montreal (Affected rows 39-45)
  • Jan. 5: Air Canada 567, San Francisco to Vancouver (Affected rows 12-16)
  • Jan. 5: United Airlines 1641, Denver to Vancouver (Affected rows 4-16)
  • Jan. 5: Air Canada 8084, Seattle to Vancouver (Affected rows 8-14)
  • Jan. 5: Air Canada 8414, Vancouver to Kelowna (Affected rows 4-10)
  • Jan. 5: Delta 3702 Seattle to Vancouver (Affected rows 14-20)
  • Jan. 5: AeroMexico 694, Mexico City to Vancouver (Affected rows 5-21)
  • Jan. 5: Air Canada 107, Toronto to Vancouver (Affected rows 31-37)
  • Jan. 5: Air Canada 302, Vancouver to Montreal (Affected rows 39-45)
  • Jan. 5: AeroMexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver (Affected rows 6-10 and 19-25)
  • Jan. 6: AeroMexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver (Affected rows not reported)
  • Jan. 6: KLM 681, Amsterdam to Vancouver (Affected rows 17-26 and 33-39)
  • Jan. 6 Air Canada 205, Calgary to Vancouver (Affected rows 20-26)
  • Jan. 7: Air Canada 202, Vancouver to Calgary (Affected rows 17-22)
  • Jan. 7: Air Canada 8577, Saskatoon to Vancouver (Affected rows 14-20)
  • Jan. 7: WestJet 3103, Calgary to Nanaimo (Affected rows 16-20)
  • Jan. 7: Air Canada 1125, Toronto to Kelowna (Affected rows 3-4 and 12-16)
  • Jan. 7: Air Canada/Jazz 8618, Vancouver to Winnipeg (Affected rows 12-18)
  • Jan. 7: American Airlines 1539, Dallas to Vancouver (Affected rows 8-11)
  • Jan. 7: WestJet 3231, Calgary to Abbotsford (Affected rows 13-19)
  • Jan. 8: Aeromexico 696, Mexico City to Vancouver (Affected rows 25-30)
  • Jan. 8 Air Canada 107, Toronto to Vancouver (Affected rows 23-29)

With the number of new COVID-19 cases remaining in the hundreds each day, B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry implemented new orders last month instructing British Columbians to avoid any non-essential travel outside their home communities. As of this week, those orders have been extended until at least Feb. 5. 

Your domestic flight has been identified for having COVID-19 on board. What next?

The BCCDC is encouraging travellers who recently arrived in B.C. to check the public health agency's website for updates about flights identified for potential exposures. Passengers who flew aboard a domestic flight flagged for carrying a COVID-19 case are encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days following their flight. 

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 the full 14 days. The average normal body temperature taken orally is about 37°C, according to the BCCDC. 

Pre and Post-Travel Considerations

The Government of Canada has issued a global travel advisory strongly encouraging Canadians to avoid all travel outside of the country until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. "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," it reads. 

If you do have to travel for an essential purpose, there are several things to keep in mind before you fly. 

First, any passengers who have travelled outside of Canada are required to self-isolate and self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days upon their arrival.

Since Wednesday, Jan. 6, Transport Canada now requires all air passengers over the age of five to present a negative COVID-19 test result before travelling to Canada from another country. 

As of Nov. 21, air travellers whose final destination is Canada are also required to submit their information electronically through ArriveCAN before boarding their flight. This includes travel and contact information, a quarantine plan (unless exempted under conditions set out in the Mandatory Isolation Order), and a COVID-19 symptom self-assessment.

Travellers must be ready to show their ArriveCAN receipt when seeking entry into Canada; a border services officer will verify that they have submitted their information digitally.

Travellers who do not submit the required information digitally before boarding their flight could be subject to enforcement action, which can range from verbal warnings to a $1,000 fine. However, exceptions will be made for those unable to submit documents electronically "due to personal circumstances, such as a disability or inadequate infrastructure."

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.

- With files from Elana Shepert