As of Thursday, there were no confirmed cases of the China-born coronavirus in Canada.
In the Okanagan, Kelowna International Airport isn’t as worried as some people would expect.
“The preparations is really through the international airports,” said airport director Sam Samaddar. “We don’t have any direct service coming through Asia.”
He said all the screening for the virus is happening in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.
Despite public worry about an emerging virus from Wuhan, China, the World Health Organization said on Thursday that it was not yet a public health emergency of international concern.
As for protocol at YLW if a passenger was found with the virus, Samaddar said the airport would receive direction from Health Canada on what to do.
“The real protocol is to be in touch with Health Canada,” said Samaddar. “Health Canada has set out those requirements for those travellers.”
When Global News reached out to Interior Health, it said it was monitoring the situation and declined to comment on how or what preparations and protocols are in place.
Interior Health also said it would only speak publicly about the virus once there are confirmed cases in B.C., and for additional information to go to B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s website.