Ontario no longer providing Canada with COVID-19 flight exposure notifications
Ontario is no longer providing the federal government with COVID-19 flight exposure data, citing an increase in public health measures and vaccinations.
According to Public Health Ontario (PHO), they stopped processing flight notifications from local public health units to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on Sept. 10.
In a statement, the agency said the decision was made as a result of various public health measures implemented for international travellers, including the need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding and an increase in vaccinations.
“To provide some background and context, flight notifications were used earlier in the pandemic in order to allow the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to inform the public via its website when a COVID-19 positive passenger who was actively infectious was on a flight,” a spokesperson said. “As the science about COVID-19 and our knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has evolved, so too must our response to better target where public health work and actions will produce the most benefit and that will have the most impact in support of the pandemic response.”
“According to PHAC, available evidence suggests that the likelihood of passenger-to-passenger transmission aboard aircraft appears to be very low. Public health measures such as masking except when eating or drinking, regular hand washing or sanitizing while on a flight, and COVID-19 vaccination continue to be actions that help to protect oneself and others from getting sick.”
PHAC has been regularly updating its website with COVID-19 data for more than a year, revealing hundreds of flights every month that were exposed to a positive case.
The data, which is updated daily but only shows results from the last 14 days, tells travellers what airline, flight number and seating rows could have been affected. Passengers in those rows are asked to self-monitor for symptoms, self-isolate if necessary and contact their local public health unit for guidance.
The website, however, now also includes a disclaimer saying “the information listed may not be complete as not all provinces and territories report all of their transportation exposures.”
The site also notes that PHAC receives “limited notifications” from Ontario and Quebec, and that Alberta Health Services only collects travel or flight information on cases with severe outcomes such as hospitalization or death.
As of Oct. 21, the data shows there are 51 international flights and 84 domestic flights that were exposed to COVID-19 over the last 14 days.
The data also shows that 21 domestic and eight international exposed flights left or landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
A spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airport Authority has said that nothing has changed for them in terms of how they receive information regarding potential COVID-19 exposures.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.