ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador is advising passengers on a recent Air Canada flight from Toronto to Halifax to immediately isolate and get tested for COVID-19.
Authorities said Monday passengers on AC604 on Sept. 30 seated in rows 13 through 17 should isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in the province and call 811 to arrange a test.
Public Health says while the risk of COVID-19 infection is low for the other passengers, the agency is still recommending they get tested out of an abundance of caution.
Authorities say passengers on another Air Canada flight — 8876 from Halifax to Deer Lake, N.L., on Sept. 30 — who are required to self-isolate have already been contacted.
Public Health says while the risk is also low for the other passengers on that flight, the agency is recommending they self-monitor for symptoms and call 811 to arrange a COVID-19 test.
The province reported two new COVID-19 cases this weekend and one death – a man between 60 and 69 years old who arrived to the province from Central Africa last week and who died while isolating.
Meanwhile, the Labrador-Grenfell health authority said Monday in an email that a communication error led to a health-care worker from Saskatchewan misunderstanding isolation rules.
Public Health said last week the essential worker tested positive for COVID-19 after she had arrived in Labrador. The department asked anyone who had visited two Happy Valley-Goose Bay stores during specific times to arrange for a COVID-19 test.
Essential workers who travel to Newfoundland and Labrador are required to isolate when they aren’t at work, for 14 days upon their arrival into the province. The regional health authority said the woman misunderstood isolation rules because of a communication error.
On Thursday, Health Minister John Haggie told reporters an investigation was underway to determine if the woman had visited the two stores. A spokeswoman for the Labrador-Grenfell health authority would not say if Haggie had been told about the error before Thursday’s news conference.
The spokeswoman said the health authority is updating its process for informing out-of-province health-care workers about proper isolation protocols.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2020.
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