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BCCDC warns of COVID-19 exposure on 13 new Vancouver flights

Any travellers returning to B.C. are encouraged to check the B.C. CDC website for updates about flights with an exposure risk, and those travelling from outside of Canada must arrive prepared with a 14-day self-isolation plan.
Elana Shepert
Elana Shepert
pandemic-flight-feature
Photo: Person wearing face mask on flight / Getty Images

The BC Centre for Disease Control warns airline passengers that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 on several recent Vancouver flights.

Yesterday, the BCCDC added five new flights in and out of Metro Vancouver's two major airports to the list of potential COVID-19 public exposures.

The following flights have been added to the list of affected flights:

  • Aug. 11: Air Canada # 116, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows 39 - 45)
  • Aug. 11: WestJet # 720, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows 4 - 11)
  • Aug. 10: WestJet # 720, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows 17 - 23)
  • Aug. 10: Air Canada # 116, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows 7 - 13)
  • Aug. 9: Air Canada # 8328, Vancouver to Winnipeg (Rows 21 - 27)
  • Aug. 8: Air Canada # 128, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows 18 - 23)
  • Aug. 7: Air Canada # 128, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows 35 - 41)
  • Aug. 6: Flair # 8101, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows 19 - 25)
  • Aug. 5: Air Canada # 296, Vancouver to Winnipeg (Rows 14 - 20)
  • Aug. 5: Lufthansa # 492, Frankfurt to Vancouver  (Rows 19 - 25)
  • Aug. 3: Air Canada # 561, San Francisco to Vancouver (Rows 18 - 24)
  • Aug. 3: KLM # 682, Vancouver to Amsterdam (Rows 38 - 44)
  • Aug. 2: Air Canada # 210, Vancouver to Calgary (Not reported)

A complete list of all current affected domestic and international flights in and out of British Columbia is provided on the BCCDC public exposures page.

Any travellers returning to B.C. are encouraged to check the B.C. CDC website for updates about flights with an exposure risk, and those travelling from outside of Canada must arrive prepared with a 14-day self-isolation plan.

The country's two largest airlines ended their on-board 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.