COVID-19 concerns have affected a number of flights in and out of Victoria, Vancouver and Kelowna, and alerts have been issued, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday.
鈥淭hese alerts are issued when we鈥檙e unable to ensure that we鈥檝e connected with everybody who might have been exposed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you have recently flown, please check the [sa国际传媒 Centre for Disease Control] website, because all of the flights where there have been people identified as having COVID-19 are posted on those alerts.鈥�
Dr. Dee Hoyano, a medical health officer for Island Health, said that in the event of a positive case of the COVID-19 virus, the investigation will consider such factors as where the person was during the infectious period.
鈥淎nd then if it turns out that they had just recently arrived and were on a flight then we pass that information on to BCCDC and they publish that.鈥�
Hoyano said it is important to emphasize that when Island Health looks back regarding a possible case 鈥渨e are considering people up to 48 hours prior to their symptom onset.鈥�
鈥淪o oftentimes people are travelling feeling well, and it鈥檚 really only after they develop symptoms a few days later that they go for testing and we find out they鈥檙e a case.鈥�
She said there is currently screening before people get onto flights to try to keep anyone who is sick away.
鈥淭he airlines are doing as best they can to avoid that situation, but we do know that people can be asymptomatic or quite mildly symptomatic and not realize it.鈥�
Hoyano said the requirement for passengers to wear masks on planes provides 鈥渁n additional measure鈥� to try to reduce risks.
鈥淚 think people do need to consider why they鈥檙e travelling.鈥�
She noted that Dr. Henry鈥檚 recommendation for the summer is to stay within sa国际传媒
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