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Two new COVID-19 exposures reported on flights to Victoria

A Jan. 10 flight from Toronto and Jan. 11 flight from Calgary were affected
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In January, six flights with cases of COVID-19 onboard have landed at the Victoria International Airport so far. (Black Press Media file photo)

Two additional flights that landed at the Victoria International Airport have been added to the BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) COVID-19 exposure list.

On Jan. 10, Air Canada flight 195 from Toronto had a positive case on board, affecting rows one to four. The next day, WestJet flight 227 from Calgary affected rows 11 to 17.

The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) asks that all passengers who were seated in the affected rows self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of sense of smell or taste, and headache.

So far in January, six flights landing at the Victoria International Airport have carried cases of the virus. Of them, four originated from Calgary and two from Toronto. The cases confirm an upward trend in flight exposures that Victoria has seen in the last few months.


Current provincial health orders, which have been extended until Feb. 5, ask that residents avoid all non-essential travel. This includes people travelling for vacation or visiting friends or family outside their household or core bubble.

As of Jan. 18, there are 184 active cases of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island, with 14 of those hospitalized and three in critical care.

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