B.C. no longer posting COVID-19 exposure notifications for flights
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is no longer posting notifications about COVID-19 exposures on flights to and from the province.
A message on the centre's website indicates that it has ceased posting exposure notices as of Nov. 16.
"All passengers are required to be fully vaccinated to board a plane, train or cruise ship for domestic travel in Canada as well as to enter Canada from international travel," the message reads.
"Anyone who is travelling should monitor their health before, during and after travel. If you develop symptoms, self-isolate and get tested."
B.C. is not the first province to stop publishing exposure warnings. The federal government's COVID-19 exposure website indicates that Alberta, Ontario and Quebec have all been providing limited information on such cases to the Public Health Agency of Canada for months.
In B.C., the change does not appear to come alongside a decreased volume of coronavirus exposures.
CTV News Vancouver's monthly tracking of flight exposures shows September and October saw B.C.'s second- and third-highest exposure totals, respectively, since the pandemic began. The all-time record was set in August.
CTV News Vancouver tracking of flight exposure notifications since the pandemic began.
Data for November is incomplete, but the rate of posted notifications does not appear to have slowed down significantly, if at all.
As of Nov. 16, there had been a total of 78 flights that took off from or landed at B.C. airports and had a confirmed COVID-19 case on board and had been added to the BCCDC list.
The most recent flight added to the list landed on Nov. 13, but there's typically a lag between when a flight lands and when an exposure notification is posted. Most of the 78 flights on the list for November landed between Nov. 1 and 7.
On just those seven days, there were 62 flights added to the list, a rate of just under nine per day. That would put B.C. on pace for roughly 266 flight exposures this month, on par with September and October.
Studies suggest that the risk of contracting COVID-19 on an airplane is low, though there have been some examples of it happening.
In total, the BCCDC posted exposure notifications about 2,972 flights from the start of the pandemic to Nov. 16.
The vast majority of those - 2,165, or 73 per cent - were domestic flights. The requirement that passengers on domestic flights be fully vaccinated took effect on Oct. 30.
CTV News Vancouver flight exposure tracking.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.