Ontario no longer providing Canada with COVID-19 flight exposure notifications

Ontario is no longer providing the federal government with COVID-19 flight exposure data, citing an increase in public health measures and vaccinations.

According to Public Health Ontario (PHO), they stopped processing flight notifications from local public health units to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on Sept. 10.

In a statement, the agency said the decision was made as a result of various public health measures implemented for international travellers, including the need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding and an increase in vaccinations.

“To provide some background and context, flight notifications were used earlier in the pandemic in order to allow the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to inform the public via its website when a COVID-19 positive passenger who was actively infectious was on a flight,” a spokesperson said. “As the science about COVID-19 and our knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has evolved, so too must our response to better target where public health work and actions will produce the most benefit and that will have the most impact in support of the pandemic response.”

“According to PHAC, available evidence suggests that the likelihood of passenger-to-passenger transmission aboard aircraft appears to be very low. Public health measures such as masking except when eating or drinking, regular hand washing or sanitizing while on a flight, and COVID-19 vaccination continue to be actions that help to protect oneself and others from getting sick.”