Only 14 flights with COVID-19 on board passed through B.C. airports last week
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has added four more flights to its list of COVID-19 exposures, bringing the total number of notifications for the week to just 14.
That's the lowest weekly total B.C. has seen since CTV News Vancouver began tracking earlier this year.
After adding 10 flights to the list between Sunday and Wednesday, the centre added two flights on Thursday and two more on Friday.
The latest additions to the list either took off from or landed at a B.C. airport between June 6 and June 8. Details of the flights added follow.
- June 6: American Airlines flight 1415 from Dallas to Vancouver (rows not reported)
- June 6: Swoop flight 164 from Abbotsford to Winnipeg (rows 18 to 24)
- June 7: American Airlines flight 1415 from Dallas to Vancouver (rows 28 to 34)
- June 8: WestJet flight 119 from Calgary to Vancouver (rows one to four)
Anyone who was on any of the listed flights should self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, seeking testing and self-isolating if any develop, according to the BCCDC.
Passengers who were seated in the rows listed are considered to be at greater risk because of their proximity to a confirmed case of the coronavirus.
Studies have shown that the risk of contracting COVID-19 on an airplane is low, though there have been some examples of it happening.
The number of flights with COVID-19 cases on board passing through B.C. airports has declined significantly alongside caseloads since the peak of the pandemic's third wave in April.
B.C. is scheduled to end restrictions on non-essential travel within the province when it moves to Step 2 of its reopening plan, a move widely anticipated to happen on Tuesday.
Health officials have been recommending against non-essential travel within Canada throughout the pandemic, but that recommendation, too, is scheduled to end. B.C. residents will no longer be discouraged from domestic travel for recreational purposes when the province enters Step 3 of its plan, a change that will happen on July 1 at the earliest.
Last week, the federal government announced that it would be changing its rules for international travel as early as July, removing the 14-day quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Canadians returning from abroad.
International tourists - even fully vaccinated ones - would not be allowed to skip the quarantine, at least during the first phase over the federal government's gradual easing of border restrictions.
Tourism-reliant businesses in B.C. have criticized the move, saying business could be even worse this summer than it was in 2020 if Canadians are able to travel abroad but international visitors aren't allowed to come.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.