While plane travel to the Caribbean and Mexico was restricted last month, flights across Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. have brought more potential cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) to Vancouver.
These 12 potential cases were identified by the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) on Thursday evening and now the health authority is asking recent flyers to check they were not exposed to the virus.
- Jan. 24, Air Canada 128, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows affected 34-40)
- Jan. 27, WestJet 115, Calgary to Vancouver (Rows affected 11-17)
- Jan. 27, WestJet 136, Vancouver to Calgary (Rows affected 5-11)
- Jan. 28, American Airlines 218, Phoenix to Vancouver (Rows affected not reported)
- Jan. 29, Air Canada 854, Vancouver to London (Rows affected 37-43)
- Jan. 29, WestJet 164, Vancouver to Edmonton (Rows affected 1-6)
- Jan. 29, WestJet 325, Calgary to Kelowna (Rows affected 15-21)
- Jan. 30, Air Canada 128, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows affected 38-44)
- Jan. 31, Air Canada 124, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows affected 19-25)
- Jan. 31, Air Canada 306, Vancouver to Montreal (Rows affected 18-24)
- Jan. 31, WestJet 720, Vancouver to Toronto (Rows affected 10-16)
- Jan. 31, WestJet 3323, Kelowna to Vancouver (Rows affected 9-15)
On Monday, Jan. 30, Vancouver Is Awesome reported on four new B.C. flights that were added to the list of potential COVID-19 public exposures.
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.
New travel restrictions
In a bid to thwart variants of COVID-19 from entering the country, Canada suspended all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean.
These new restrictions went into effect Sunday, Jan. 31. Along with the restrictions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also revealed that all international travellers will only be able to land at airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal starting in February.
Travellers who arrive in those cities will be required to take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test at the airport to determine if they have COVID-19. Those travellers will then be required to wait at an approved hotel for up to three days at their own expense as they await test results.
Trudeau estimated the cost of the hotel stays would run about $2,000. Those who test negative will be able to quarantine at home, while those international travellers who test positive will be sent to a designated government facility to quarantine.
The new measures come after the prime minister repeatedly urged Canadians throughout January not to depart the country on non-essential travel in the event new restrictions are imposed.
- With files from Tyler Orton / BIV
