The Government of Canada is alerting travelers of possible exposure to coronavirus through its official COVID-19 website. Listing specific flights and sometimes even affected rows, travelers who have flown to or within Canada in the last week should check themselves against the list to see if they may have been put at risk.
The Canadian Government has the following warning when presenting the data:
The information on this page is not exhaustive; it is gathered through reports received from:
- provincial and territorial health authorities
- international health authorities
- public websites
We provide updates to locations once a day.
The affected flights
At least one passenger from each of the following flights on the following days have been identified as testing positive for COVID-19. Those who have flown on these services, especially within the at-risk rows, should monitor their health and take the necessary steps for quarantine and/or testing:
- American Airlines: AA1638 – Charlotte to Toronto – July 7th – Rows 17 to 23
- Air Canada: AC169 – Toronto to Edmonton – July 7th – Rows 10 to 16
- American Airlines: AA2942 – Charlotte to Toronto – July 6th – Rows 12 to 18
- Air Canada: AC8421 – Kelowna to Vancouver – July 6th – Affected rows unknown
- Qatar Airlines: QR763 – Doha to Montreal – July 6th – Rows 23 to 29
- Air Canada: AC1231 – Cancun to Toronto – July 5th – Affected rows unknown
- Air Canada: AC428 – Toronto to Montreal – July 5th – Affected rows unknown
- Air Canada: AC224 – Vancouver to Calgary – July 5th – Rows 15 to 21
- Pakistan International Airlines: PK783 – Lahore to Toronto – July 5th – Rows 22 to 28
A stark reminder
While Canada’s borders remain shut to non-essential travel, airlines are still operating services to facilitate essential travel and allow citizens and residents of Canada to return home.
While the situation within Canada has been improving overall, this website and the numerous flights affected should be a reminder that we must all remain vigilant and not give in to complacency.
Therefore, passengers who were on any of the above flights should self-monitor for symptoms of the virus. International travelers returning to Canada must also self-isolate for 14 days, with or without symptoms. In fact, heavy penalties under the country’s Quarantine Act could mean severe fines if international arrivals do not observe self-isolation protocols.
Part of the new normal?
Last week, we reported that the Rensselaer County Health Department confirmed that three passengers have tested positive for COVID-19 after completing a domestic flight with Delta Air Lines. The passengers were screened after presenting symptoms, and an advisory had gone out to other passengers on the plane.
As we work towards a vaccine and fight to keep case numbers low to prevent more outbreaks, could this be the new normal for the next few months? We may see more and more notices of infected travelers onboard aircraft, and it will be up to airlines to inform all passengers at risk. Of course, it will also be up to passengers to stay up to date with the latest news and take all necessary precautions to limit the spread of germs.
How do you feel when about booking or taking flights in the near future when seeing news like this? Would you be more likely to cancel or accept the possible risk of exposure? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
