More COVID-19 warnings posted for U.S. and Canadian flights to B.C.

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This article was published 07/08/2020 (2275 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER – More flights have been added to the list alerting passengers who arrived at British Columbia airports of potential exposure to COVID-19.

The BC Centre for Disease Control says passengers on a Delta flight on July 29 from Seattle to Vancouver and a flight from San Francisco to Vancouver on Aug. 1 may be at risk.

All travellers from outside Canada must self-isolate for 14 days, which can limit the possible spread of the illness from international flights.

But the centre says passengers on a WestJet flight from Calgary should also self-monitor for symptoms for the next 14 days.

It says a person with COVID-19 was onboard flight 538 on July 29, affecting rows 5 to 11.

The latest advisories come as the province announces 53 more cases on Friday and another outbreak in a long-term care facility.

The Fraser Health authority says one staff member at Derby Manor has tested positive for COVID-19.

B.C. Transportation Minister Claire Trevena sent a letter to her federal counterpart earlier this week asking for help in getting airlines to provide more complete information on passengers to aid contact tracing efforts.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Tuesday that the lack of contact information public health officials get from airlines “would shock you.”

Henry said the airlines collect information for a different reason, which means health officials might get the name of the person or company who booked the ticket rather than the person who was actually on the flight.

She said they’ve told officials at Transport Canada that during the pandemic, public health workers need to be able to contact people quickly.

“Introductions from other provinces, but also from countries into Canada, are one of the things that put us at risk. So, we need to have a system that allows us to identify people rapidly.”

A joint statement from Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix says there were no new deaths. The death toll has been unchanged at 195 for a week.

There are a total of 3,934 cases in the province, although 3,353 people who tested positive have recovered.

Eleven people are in hospital and four of those are in intensive care.

In a tweet on Friday, the president of the Vancouver Police Union said three officers tested positive for COVID-19 after responding to a party with more than a hundred people.

Ralph Kaisers said two patrol teams are self-isolating and he urged people to “party responsibly.”

He did not say when or where the party happened or if any guests were confirmed to have had the illness.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2020.