All passengers on board 2 international flights to Canada reported that they were potentially exposed to COVID-19

• All passengers on board two Air Transat flights from Haiti to Montreal were potentially exposed to COVID-19, reported the Toronto Sun.

• Passengers sitting in “all rows” have been notified by the Canadian government’s exposure tracking system that they need to monitor their symptoms.

• The Canadian government announced on January 7 that a negative coronavirus test is needed to fly. Haiti, where these passengers came from, is one of the two territories exempt from this rule.

• More than 70 other international flights to Canada transported people infected with the coronavirus, according to the Toronto Sun.

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Two Air Transat flights had so many people on board infected with COVID-19 that all passengers are now at risk of contracting the virus, reported the Toronto Sun.

TS663 AND TS665 flights – both taking passengers from Haiti to Montreal – have been identified by Health Canada as flights with several confirmed cases of coronavirus, the newspaper said.

Now, passengers sitting in “all rows” have been notified that they have been potentially exposed to the virus.

The Canadian government’s tracking system is used to notify passengers who have been potentially exposed to the virus. Typically, specific rows are identified and those seated are advised to take the necessary care.

On this occasion, however, passengers in “all lines” – the two entire planes – were advised to self-monitor their symptoms for 14 days and to isolate themselves immediately if symptoms develop.

The number of people alerted to the COVID-19 infection is not known. The Air Transat was flying wide-body Airbus A330s on the Haiti-Montreal route, with a capacity for up to 375 passengers, according to the Toronto Sun.

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According to government guidelines, passengers are also advised to immediately contact public health officials if they are unwell.

The story continues

The news of these potential exposures follows an announcement made on January 7 by the Canadian government, which requires all boarding flights to Canada to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test.

Haiti, however, is an exception to the rule. Due to limited testing capacity, passengers flying from Haiti to Canada are not required to provide a negative result.

Since the negative test requirement was introduced, more than 70 international flights that landed in Canada have carried passengers infected with COVID-19, according to the Toronto Sun.

Yesterday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that he did not rule out the introduction of a ban on international travel.

The tougher restrictions would be a response to Canada’s recent rise in daily cases.

January was the worst month on record for new cases of COVID-19 in the country, according to Worldometer.

On Saturday, Worldometer data shows that Canada recorded 6,816 new cases.

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