Tuesday, March 19, 2024

BCCDC confirms COVID-19 exposure in West Jet flight to Victoria last week

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Passengers on a West Jet flight from Calgary to Victoria last week may want to check their flight number to see whether they have been exposed to COVID-19.

According to the BCCDC, a passenger with COVID-19 travelled on West Jet flight 195 from Calgary to Victoria on Friday, March 20th.

The seat or row in which the passenger sat has not been identified by the health authority.

The BCCDC has also identified a number of other domestic and international flights that touched down in Vancouver and had passengers with COVID-19 on board.

They are the following:

(BCCDC)
(BCCDC)

Travellers returning to Canada from abroad have been ordered to self isolate for 14 days. Anyone failing to do so could face a fine or even jail time under the Quarantine Act.

According to the BCCDC, this measure means that passengers seated near a case of COVID-19 who was recognized after arrival will no longer be directly notified of their potential exposure.

For domestic cases, the authority will continue to contact passengers who were seated near a passenger who has since been diagnosed with coronavirus.

Those who are contacted will be advised to self isolate and monitor their symptoms for 14 days. Other passengers on the flight are not required to self isolate.


See all the latest updates about the global COVID-19 pandemic on Vancouver Island


According to the latest update, there are now 659 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C. including 47 on Vancouver Island.

The federal government recently announced an $82 billion assistance package for Canadians and businesses struggling financially during the global pandemic. This was followed by a $5 billion relief package announced by the B.C. provincial government.

This includes a $2,000/month package for four months for all Canadians who have lost income due to COVID-19, and $500/month assistance package to help tenants pay rent in B.C.

The provincial government also announced the indefinite suspension of all in-person classes at K-12 schools in B.C., closure of all bars and restaurants, and a moratorium on evictions among other steps to enforce social distancing measures.

Canada has tightened its borders and is denying entry to people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada.

U.S. citizens are no longer an exception to this rule, and non-essential travel between U.S. and Canada has been temporarily banned as of March 21st. Moreover international flights have now been restricted to international airports in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary.

The BCCDC has set up a 2019 novel coronavirus telephone information line at 1-833-784-4397 for those who have further questions about this disease.

Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.

The Province has also created the 1-888-COVID-19  line to connect British Columbians needing non-medical information about the coronavirus pandemic.

As of the time of publication, the total number of COVID-19 patients worldwide has risen to 522,714.

Over 23,600 people have died from the illness and 123,322 have made a full recovery.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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