(Facebook/ Transwest Air)

By Nigel Maxwell

Flight Disruption

Possible COVID-19 case, prompts Transwest flight to make emergency landing

Jun 26, 2020 | 1:33 PM

A Transwest flight bound for Fond-du-lac this week was forced to turn around and make an unscheduled landing at the Prince Albert Municipal Airport.

The 14 passengers on Tuesday’s flight later learned that a person on their flight may have had contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Tracey Young-McLean, Vice President of West Wind Aviation, told paNOW the company reacted quickly when they heard about the situation.

‘We consulted with health authorities and as a precautionary measure, yes we made the decision to turn the flight around,” she said.

A follow up investigation determined the said passenger did not have close contact with the infected person and when a screening was done in Prince Albert, the test results came back negative.

Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka, Medical Health Officer for the Northern Inter-Tribal Heath Authority (NITHA) explained a case was being investigated in one of the northern communities, but the circumstances surrounding the passenger’s connection were not immediately known.

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“At the time the [test results] came in, the passenger was already on board so the airport was alerted to speak to the flight attendants,” he said.

Ndubuka said there is no risk to the other passengers on board the flight, but added they have all been issued letters advising them what happened.

“We have an obligation to notify the passengers and out of abundance of caution we are just telling them to self monitor for the next 14 days,” Ndubuka said.

NITHA serves 33 northern Saskatchewan First Nations. Ndubuka said the passengers who are members of NITHA’s members communities will be also be subject to follow up calls by his organization, to ensure they receive supports.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell