At least 12 more international flights with COVID-19 entered Toronto in the past 2 weeks

The federal government has reported that at least 12 more international flights carrying passengers with COVID-19 landed at Pearson Airport in the past two weeks, bringing the total number of planes that brought infected travellers into the city to at least 24 since the start of August.

According to the government's non-exhaustive database, which lists locations where people may have been exposed to COVID-19 during recent travel, flights hailing from everywhere from Amsterdam to Delhi have brought coronavirus patients into Toronto in recent weeks.

"You may have been exposed to COVID-19 during recent travel," reads the webpage, which lists both international and domestic flights, trains, cruise ships and other public conveyances where positive cases have been reported. 

 "Being aware of the risk can help you take the necessary steps to protect your health and the health of others around you."

The information on the webpage is gathered through reports received from provincial and territorial health authorities, international health authorities and public websites, and it only includes data from the last 14 days — as this is the quarantine period for those who may have been exposed.

The 12 recent international flights confirmed to have carried cases of COVID-19 into Toronto include:

• Air Canada flight AC873 from Frankfurt on Aug. 1 (rows 12 to 14, 18 to 20)
• Egypt Air flight MS995 from Cairo on Aug 2. (rows 39 to 45)
• Ethiopian Airlines flight ETH552 from Addis Ababa on Aug. 2 (rows 16 to 22)
• Etihad Airways flight EY141 from Abu Dhabi on Aug. 2 (rows 7 to 11)
• Air Canada flight AC891 from Rome on Aug. 3 (rows unknown)
• Air India flight AI187 from Delhi on Aug. 6 (rows 42 to 48)
• Air Canada flight AC873 from Frankfurt on Aug. 7 (rows one to six)
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL691 from Amsterdam on Aug. 7 (rows unknown)
• LOT Polish Airlines flight LO45 from Warsaw on Aug. 7 (rows 8 to 14)
• Ethiopian Airlines flight ET552 from Addis Ababa on Aug. 7 (rows four to 10)
• Air India flight IA187 from Delhi on Aug. 8 (rows 37 to 43)
• Air Canada flight AC873 from Frankfurt on Aug. 8 (rows 37 to 43)
• Air Canada flight AC1255 from Kingston on Aug. 10 (rows 10 to 16)
• Air Canada flight AC992 from Mexico City on Aug. 13 (rows 11 to 17)

Anyone who travelled on one of these flights and was seated in an affected row may have been exposed to the virus and should self-monitor for symptoms.

These flights are in addition to the 12 other flights already reported to have entered Toronto since Aug. 1 with cases on board, and a number of domestic flights have also brought COVID-19 into Toronto from elsewhere in the country. 

The database indicates that at least 16 domestic flights with COVID-positive patients aboard flew into Toronto from another Canadian city over the same period of time. 

But while air travel between Canadian provinces remains unrestricted amid the pandemic, there are a number of travel measures in place to prevent infected passengers from outside the country from coming in. 

Still, thanks to a number of exceptions for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, the immediate family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and some foreign nationals, new cases continue to enter Toronto and the rest of Canada at a fairly consistent rate. 

Thankfully, under Canada's Quarantine Act, any travellers arriving in the country are required to quarantine for 14 days.

by Mira Miller via blogTO