[ad_1]
Jacob Frey never thought international travelers would be on his WestJet flight from Calgary to Edmonton until he spotted several passengers wearing sombreros in the waiting area.
After boarding the flight on November 22, Frey said he learned that the passenger seated next to him and three passengers in the rear row were returning from vacation resorts in Mexico.
“I was shocked,” said Frey, a laid-off Saskatoon sewer construction worker who was flying to Edmonton to examine job prospects.
Frey feared that sitting next to passengers who had visited tourist spots in Mexico could increase his chances of being exposed to the virus.
“People who go to an all-inclusive resort during a pandemic are inherently irresponsible,” he said. “So it goes without saying that health is not their primary concern.”
When Canadian passengers take domestic flights during the COVID-19 pandemic, they may be sharing the cabin with international travelers on a connecting flight who are not yet quarantined.
Although many travelers entering Canada are required to quarantine for 14 days, they do not have to begin the process until they reach their final destination, provided they have no COVID-19 symptoms.
When asked about this policy, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) told CBC News that the risk of transmitting COVID-19 on an aircraft is relatively low compared to other indoor environments.
Many travelers take connecting flights
Since Canada closed its borders to most non-essential travel at the end of March, more than 1.5 million Canadians and foreigners have flown into the country.
Between March and September, about 17% of air passengers arriving in Canada took a connecting domestic flight, according to data collected by Transport Canada.
Several countries, including Australia and New Zealand, require travelers to quarantine at the first point of entry before taking connecting flights.
Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist, says this is an extreme approach to fighting the spread of the virus that may not get along well with Canadian travelers.
“I think in general, many people would not accept having to stay in a quarantine hotel at that point of arrival.”
Toronto General Hospital-based Dr. Bogoch also said it’s unclear how useful a quarantine policy at the point of entry into Canada would be, considering the number of COVID-19 infections associated with international travel is small.
“It’s a drop in the bucket. So you have to ask yourself, would such a policy contribute significantly to our response to the pandemic?”
Over the past eight months, the percentage of COVID-19 cases related to international travel it fluctuated from 0.4% in May to 2.9% in July, according to PHAC. Last month it was 0.6 percent.
The passenger is positive
PHAC data also shows that, since March 25, more than 2,000 domestic and international flights in Canada have carried at least one passenger who, shortly thereafter, tested positive for COVID-19.
Frey learned five days after his WestJet flight that someone sitting next to him had tested positive.
He said he was tested and came back negative, but Alberta Health Services still ordered him to quarantine for 14 days.
“Basically, I’m sidelined for two weeks,” said Frey, who is isolating himself at a friend’s house in Edmonton. “It’s frustrating.”
He doesn’t know if the COVID-19 positive passenger was returning from Mexico. Even so, Frey said that if she knew international travelers would be on her flight, she would cancel it, unless Westjet assured them they would be seated in a separate section.
“They can be first on the plane, last out and keep them separate from everyone else,” he said.
WestJet told CBC News that there is no need to separate international and domestic passengers on an airplane, because the airline has implemented strict health and hygiene policies, and Canadian health officials have found that the risk of transmission on an airplane is low.
Canada’s chief medical officer, Dr. Teresa Tam he said last month that protective measures such as mandatory mask policies, health screenings, and effective ventilation systems have made airplanes a relatively safe place to be during the pandemic.
“The modern airplane is really great in terms of air changes and how the cabin airflow happens,” he said. “There have been very few reports – extremely rare, actually – of airborne transmission.”
WATCH | How air transmission increases the need for ventilation:
As COVID-19’s aerosol transmission becomes more widely recognized, schools and businesses are looking for new ventilation solutions to protect themselves from it. 8:00
Dr. Bogosh agrees that actual air travel is quite safe, but said there are other aspects of air travel that pose a danger such as boarding and exiting the plane and collecting checked baggage.
“There is a risk because there are more bottlenecks and people flocking together.”
He added that domestic passengers also pose a threat due to growing COVID-19 infections in Canada, so the best way to avoid exposure is to not travel.
“We should stay as close to home as possible, avoiding non-essential travel.”
Source link
