COVID-19 exposures on 232 flights and counting in B.C. last month

A traveller waits next to check-in kiosks not currently in use at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Friday, July 30, 2021.

Vancouver -

For the third consecutive month, more than 200 flights with COVID-19 cases on board have passed through B.C. airports, according to data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control. 

As of Wednesday evening, the BCCDC had posted exposure notifications for 232 different flights that took off from or landed at airports in the province during the month of October. That number will likely continue to grow as people who flew recently test positive and their exposures get added to the list.

The final total for October will almost certainly fail to match the record high seen in August, when the BCCDC ended up adding 522 flights to the list. October could yet match September's total of 269 flight exposures, however.

Flights are added to the list when one or more passengers test positive for COVID-19. Though coronavirus transmission on airplanes is rare, there have been some recorded instances of it happening.

The BCCDC recommends anyone who was on a flight with a COVID-19 exposure to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days, seeking testing and self-isolating if any develop.

The full list of recent flight exposures, as well as affected rows that are considered at higher risk, can be found on the BCCDC website.

Since the pandemic began, the number of exposures on airplanes passing through B.C. airports has tended to follow the same pattern as the number of cases in the province.

The two trends became somewhat disconnected in August, however, as B.C.'s fourth wave of flight exposures shattered previous records, while it's fourth wave of infections fell short of all-time highs.

B.C. flights with COVID-19 exposures between March 2020 and October 2021. Canada began welcoming international tourists again on Sept. 9, and the number of exposures on international flights did increase in October from what it was in September. Whether that modest increase is the result of more international visitors coming to B.C. or other factors remains unclear. 

B.C. flights with COVID-19 exposures between March 2020 and October 2021. Also unclear is what effect the new federal proof of vaccination requirement for domestic air travellers will have on the number of flight exposures going forward. As of Oct. 30, all passengers travelling by plane, train or cruise ship within Canada are required to show proof of vaccination before boarding.