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BCCDC identifies 3 more Vancouver flights for possible COVID-19 exposure

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 three recent Vancouver flights.

On Monday, the BCCDC warned passengers who travelled on a flight from Seattle to Vancouver that they may have been exposed to the virus. Last week, the agency said passengers travelling on four recent flights through the city may have been exposed to COVID-19 and then another flight was added to the list on Friday.

Now, the following international flight has been added to the list of affected flights:

  • July 29: KLM Flight # 681, Amsterdam to Vancouver (Rows 31-35)
2020-08-11 International FlightsPhoto: BCCDC

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

  • ​July 24: Air Canada Flight # 119, Toronto to Vancouver (Rows 12-18)
  • July 27: WestJet Flight # 186, Vancouver to Edmonton ((Rows 2-8)
2020-08-11 Domestic FlightsPhoto: BCCDC

The BCCDC says they list information regarding potential public exposure as they "become aware of flights with an origin or destination in British Columbia with a case of COVID-19 on board."

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.