Starting Sept. 23, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority staff will begin temperature screening of all passengers before they depart from Kelowna International Airport (YLW).
“Temperature screening is an added layer of precaution to protect employees, passengers and the greater community, and to help prevent air travel from being a source for the spread of COVID-19,” said Sam Samaddar, YLW’s airport director.
“Many of the airlines operating at YLW and at airports across the country already conduct temperature checks of their passengers.”
A temperature screening station will be placed in the pre-boarding security area, and all passengers will have their temperature taken by either a scanning computer or by a contactless, hand-held thermometer.
“Any passenger who has a temperature at or above 38 C on the first screening will be asked to wait for 10 minutes in a nearby designated waiting area, unless they present a medical certificate indicating that an elevated temperature is not due to COVID-19 (a negative COVID-19 test is not sufficient),” airport staff wrote in a release.
A passenger whose temperature remains at or above 38 C after a second temperature check will not be allowed to continue their travel and will have to rebook their flight after 14 days, according to airport staff.
Temperature screening at YLW is part of the Government of Canada’s phased approach to protect Canadians.
Kelowna International Airport is the fifth major airport in Canada to get temperature screening.
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