Citing “an abundance of caution” public health officials are asking anyone who was on board Air Canada flight 8018 which departed Montreal at 6:25 p.m. on May 22 bound for St. John’s to monitor their health and get tested for COVID-19.
The advisory from Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald comes after the province recorded its first confirmed case of the virus yesterday after three weeks with no new cases.
The case, linked to travel, involves a man in his 40s in the Eastern Health region who was returning to the province from Africa. She says the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for those on the flight is very low.
There are no new confirmed cases in the province today.
Meanwhile, Dr. Fitzgerald announced that effective today, people can now extend their “double bubble” to six more people. These individuals do not need to be from the same household.
Current symptoms surrounding COVID-19 include:
- Fever (or signs of a fever, including chills, sweats, muscle aches, lightheadedness);
Cough; - Headache;
- Sore throat;
- Painful swallowing;
- Runny nose;
- Diarrhea;
- Loss of sense of smell or taste;
- Unexplained loss of appetite; and,
- Small red or purple spots on the hands and/or feet.