Vancouver biggest source for domestic COVID infected flights: Health Canada

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As British Columbia deals with crippling variant-fuelled outbreaks and lawmakers consider restricting interprovincial travel, Vancouver remains the top source for domestic air passengers infected with COVID-19.

Data made available by Health Canada shows, so far in April, 39 flights departed from Vancouver International Airport carrying passengers who tested positive for COVID-19.

Calgary was Canada’s second-biggest source of infected domestic flights with 31, followed by Toronto with 23, Edmonton with 12 and Montreal with six.

Unlike international passengers, which under Canadian law are required to present a recent negative COVID-19 test before boarding and submit to a second test and mandatory quarantine upon arrival, no such rules exist for domestic travel.

For instance, the Province of Ontario only ‘strongly advises’ a 14-day self-quarantine after returning from another province — no authority exists to enforce this rule.

Calgary was the most popular destination for infected flights, amounting to 10 since April 1 — incidentally the same number of flights that Calgary sent back to Vancouver carrying COVID-positive passengers.

That was followed by Edmonton with nine, Toronto with seven and Montreal with six.

Toronto sent 5 COVID-19 infected planes each to Calgary and Edmonton, as well as four to Halifax, three to Vancouver, two to Ottawa and one each to Saskatoon, Thunder Bay, Timmins and Winnipeg.

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Health Canada doesn’t indicate how many passengers tested positive on each flight, instead providing three-row ‘ranges’ of where an infected person sat on each plane.

Now that international variants are becoming prevalent in Canada’s growing number of COVID-19 outbreaks, talk of restricting interprovincial travel is growing.

BC Premier John Horgan remarked earlier this week that travel restrictions in his province “were possible,” and that discussions are underway with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney over what can be done to address non-essential travel between the western Canadian neighbours.

“We have not taken anything off the table, but practicality is first and foremost,” Horgan said.

Last July, an agreement between the four maritime provinces lead to the creation of the ‘Atlantic Bubble’ — a zone requiring mandatory screening and 14-day quarantines for all outsiders, with risks of heavy fines for scofflaws.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume