Passengers on 31 flights in Canada may have been exposed to COVID-19 in July

Canadians who have recently traveled by plane, domestically or internationally, may want to check if they have been exposed to the novel coronavirus.

There have been 17 international flights and 14 domestic flights in July that have been flagged by the Canadian government for possible exposure to the virus.

Passengers near the affected rows are considered close contact and may be at risk of exposure, the government said on its website.

Public health officials recommend that affected individuals self-isolate for 14 days and monitor symptoms. Passengers are also advised to contact their primary care provider if they’re concerned they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms.

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The July flights include:

Domestic flights

July 9

Air Canada flight AC988, from Montreal to Ottawa

July 8

Air Canada flight AC311, from Montreal to Vancouver

July 7

Air Canada flight AC169, from Toronto to Edmonton

July 6

WestJet flight WJA296, from Calgary to Regina

July 5

Air Canada flight AC428, from Toronto to Montreal

Air Canada flight AC224, from Vancouver to Calgary

Air Canada flight AC422, from Toronto to Montreal

WestJet flight WJA3312, from Kelowna to Edmonton

July 4

Air Canada flight AC0407, from Montreal to Toronto

Air Canada flight AC7947, from Toronto to Regina

July 3

WestJet flight WS669, from Toronto to Calgary

July 2

Air Canada flight AC425, from Montreal to Toronto

July 1

Air Canada flight AC425, from Montreal to Toronto

International flights

July 9

Air Canada flight AC879, from Zurich to Toronto

United Airlines flight UA4958, from Washington to Toronto

July 7

American Airlines flight AA1638, from Charlotte to Toronto

United Airlines flight UA375, from San Francisco to Vancouver

WestJet flight WJA6357, from Minneapolis to Calgary

July 6

American Airlines flight AA2942, from Charlotte to Toronto

American Airlines flight AA1270, from Dallas to Vancouver

Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 500, from Addis Ababa to Toronto

Qatar Airlines flight 763, from Qatar to Montreal

WestJet flight WJA1511, from Los Angeles to Calgary

July 5

Air Canada flight AC1231, from Cancun to Toronto

Pakistan International Airlines flight PIA783, from Lahore to Toronto

July 3

Air Canada flight AC911, from Fort Lauderdale to Toronto

Pakistan International Airlines flight PK0781, from Islamabad to Toronto

Qatar Airways flight QR763, from Doha to Montreal

July 2

Air France flight AF342, from Paris to Montreal

American Airlines AA5700, from Charlotte to Toronto

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For more details on the affected flight rows, click here.

The information on the federal’s government’s page says it is not entirely exhaustive and it is gathered through reports received from provincial and territorial health authorities, international health authorities and public websites.

The website is updated once a day and doesn’t include information from flights before June 25.

WestJet told Global News in an email Wednesday the company is aware of the COVID-19 exposures on its aircraft and has taken a “layered approach to our safety measures which the risk of COVID-19 is mitigated.”

The company also stated it notifies crew members if they were on exposed flights. It is up to the public health authority to notify passengers if they are at risk of exposure, the company added.

West Jet has a blog with updated information about flights that may have been exposed to the virus.

In an email, Air Canada said, “In May, we introduced a comprehensive program, Air Canada CleanCare, to apply industry-leading biosafety measures at each stage of the journey.”

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Passengers travelling by plane to, from or within Canada have to have their temperature checked before boarding a flight in order to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The federal government still emphasizes that all non-essential travel outside of Canada must be avoided.

They’ve made it clear on their website that people deciding to travel during the pandemic could not only put themselves and others at risk for being infected with COVID-19, it could also result in them becoming stranded.