Air Canada believes a test-based strategy may be a safe alternative to the 14-day quarantine
TORONTO, ON., Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ — According to data from the Canadian government, at least 28 domestic flights between Sept. 21 and Oct. 2 have had a traveller onboard that has after-the-fact tested positive for COVID-19.
At least 26 of the flights either landed in or took off from Toronto, which has been categorized as a COVID-19 hotspot due to the soaring number of infections reported each day.
Meanwhile, Air Canada is pushing to drop the 14-day mandatory quarantine period for travellers returning to the country in favour of a test-based approach. They posted on Instagram today saying they believe a test-based strategy may be a safe alternative to a 14-day quarantine after an international flight.
“Over 15,000 voluntary COVID-19 tests have been taken by international customers arriving at Toronto Pearson Airport as part of a McMaster HealthLabs study. The preliminary results? Over 99% have tested negative. We believe that a test-based strategy may be a safe alternative to the 14-day quarantine,” reads the post from Air Canada.
There are also 26 international flights impacted by a positive case of the novel coronavirus.
Here are the international flights impacted by a case of COVID-19 updated October 6 3:15 pm:
| Aeromexico | AM696 | Mexico City (MEX) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-27 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC45 | New Delhi (DEL) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-25 | 31 to 39 |
| Air Canada | AC871 | Paris (CDG) | Montreal (YUL) | 2020-09-25 | 18 to 24 |
| Air Canada | AC43 | New Delhi (DEL) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-24 | 29 to 35 |
| Air Canada | AC1241 | Cancun (CUN) | Montreal (YUL) | 2020-09-25 | 12 to 15 |
| Air Canada | AC855 | London (LHR) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-23 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC1255 | Kingston (KIN) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-23 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC846 | Toronto (YYZ) | Munich (MUC) | 2020-09-22 | 1 to 6 |
| Air Canada | AC0873 | Frankfurt (FRA) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-26 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC794 | Los Angeles (LAX) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-29 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC80 | Toronto (YYZ) | Tel Aviv (TLV) | 2020-09-29 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC992 | Mexico City (MEX) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-29 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC43 | Delhi (DEL) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-10-01 | 12 to 14 |
| Air Canada | AC1255 | Kingston (KIN) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-25 | 17 to 23 |
| Air Canada/Air India | AC848/AI7310 | Toronto (YYZ) | London (LHR) | 2020-09-22 | Unknown |
| Air Canada/Jazz | AC8491/QK8491 | Washington (DCA) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-30 | 7 to 13 |
| Air France | AF356 | Paris (CDG) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-22 | Unknown |
| Air India | AI1143 | Delhi (DEL) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-27 | Unknown |
| Air India | AI1143 | Delhi (DEL) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-30 | Unknown |
| Air India | AI187 | Delhi (DEL) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-26 | 36 to 42 |
| Air Transat | TS573 | Lyon (LYS) | Montreal (YUL) | 2020-09-27 | 1 to 4 |
| Cathay Pacific | CX829 | Toronto (YYZ) | Hong Kong (HKG) | 2020-09-27 | 53 to 59 |
| Delta Airlines | DL4740 | Detroit (DTW) | Montreal (YUL) | 2020-09-30 | 17 to 20 |
| Emirates | EK241 | Dubai (DXB) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-27 | Unknown |
| Ethiopian Airlines | ET553 | Toronto (YYZ) | Addis Ababa (ADD) | 2020-09-22 | 25 to 31 |
| Ethiopian Airlines | ET552 | Addis Ababa (ADD) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-25 | 12 to 16 |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | KL681 | Amsterdam (AMS) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-27 | unknown |
| Lufthansa Air | LH6794 | Frankfurt (FRA) | Montreal (YUL) | 2020-09-26 | unknown |
| Turkish Airlines | TK17 | Istanbul (IST) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-29 | Unknown |
Here are the Domestic flights with confirmed COVID-19 cases updated October 6 3:15 pm:
| Air Canada | AC304 | Vancouver (YVR) | Montreal (YUL) | 2020-09-22 | 22 to 28 |
| Air Canada | AC123 | Toronto (YYZ) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-24 | 19 to 25 |
| Air Canada | AC423 | Montreal (YUL) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-25 | 18 to 24 |
| Air Canada | AC133 | Toronto (YYZ) | Calgary (YYC) | 2020-09-24 | 19 to 25 |
| Air Canada | AC8418 | Vancouver (YVR) | Kelowna (YLW) | 2020-09-23 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC195 | Toronto (YYZ) | Victoria (YYJ) | 2020-09-23 | 28 to 33 |
| Air Canada | AC115 | Toronto (YYZ) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-26 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC8445 | Quebec City (YQB) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-22 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC8317 | Toronto (YYZ) | Sault Ste. Marie (YAM) | 2020-09-22 | Unknown |
| Air Canada | AC123 | Toronto (YYZ) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-23 | 15 to 21 |
| Air Canada | AC604 | Toronto (YYZ) | Halifax (YHZ) | 2020-09-30 | 13 to 17 |
| Air Canada | AC115 | Toronto (YYZ) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-30 | 23 to 29 |
| Air Canada | AC169 | Toronto (YYZ) | Edmonton (YEG) | 2020-09-26 | 30 to 33 |
| Air Canada | AC115 | Toronto (YYZ) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-27 | 3 to 4 and 12 to 15 |
| Air Canada | AC158 | Calgary (YYC) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-29 | 27 to 33 |
| Air Canada | AC415 | Montreal (YUL) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-26 | 15 to 21 |
| Air Canada | AC171 | Toronto (YYZ) | Edmonton (YEG) | 2020-09-26 | 19 to 25 |
| Air Canada | AC303 | Montreal (YUL) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-25 | 28 to 34 |
| Air Canada | AC296 | Vancouver (YVR) | Winnipeg (YWG) | 2020-09-27 | 27 to 29 |
| Air Canada / Jazz | AC7947/QK7947 | Toronto (YYZ) | Regina (YQR) | 2020-09-25 | 12 to 18 |
| Air Canada/Jazz | AC8876/QK8876 | Halifax (YHZ) | Deer Lake (YDF) | 2020-09-30 | 6 to 10 |
| Air Canada/Jazz | JZ8910 | Toronto (YYZ) | Moncton (YQM) | 2020-09-30 | 18 to 24 |
| Air Canada/Jazz | JZ8261 | Vancouver (YVR) | Nanaimo (YCD) | 2020-09-25 | 1 to 7 |
| Air Canda/Jazz | JZ7939 | Toronto (YYZ) | Regina (YQR) | 2020-10-01 | 19 to 23 |
| Pascan Airline | P6475 | St-Hubert (YHU) | Iles de la Madeleine (YGR) | 2020-09-29 | Unknown |
| Swoop | WO116 | Edmonton (YEG) | Hamilton (YHM) | 2020-10-01 | 8 to 14 |
| Swoop | WO101 | Hamilton (YHM) | Edmonton (YEG) | 2020-09-25 | 28 to 32 |
| Swoop | WO107 | Hamilton (YHM) | Abbotsford (YXX) | 2020-10-02 | Unknown |
| WestJet | WS4003 | Fort MacKay (YFI) | Edmonton (YEG) | 2020-09-22 | 1 to 3 |
| WestJet | WS3529 | Montreal (YUL) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-23 | 4 to 10 |
| WestJet | WS3178 | Grand Prairie (YQU) | Calgary (YYC) | 2020-09-24 | Unknown |
| WestJet | WS662 | Calgary (YYC) | Toronto (YYZ) | 2020-09-24 | Unknown |
| WestJet | WS439 | Toronto (YYZ) | Edmonton (YEG) | 2020-09-23 | 6 to 12 and 23 to 29 |
| WestJet | WS725 | Toronto (YYZ) | Vancouver (YVR) | 2020-09-27 | 4 to 10 |
| WestJet | WS665 | Toronto (YYZ) | Calgary (YYC) | 2020-09-26 | 18 to 23 |
| WestJet | WS431 | Toronto (YYZ) | Edmonton (YEG) | 2020-09-24 | 24 to 29 |