Editor's Note: The flight information in this story has been updated. The original news release included the wrong date.
People on a flight to Timmins may have been exposed to a COVID-19 variant of concern.
The Porcupine Health Unit has issued a high-risk exposure advisory for a Monday, March 15 flight from Toronto to Timmins. The flight of concern — Air Canada flight #AC8289 — had a scheduled departure of 6:50 p.m.
A person on the flight is a confirmed case that has screened positive for a variant. It's expected that the variant will be the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7) strain. The person lives outside the health unit region and is in self-isolation.
"The passengers on this flight are considered high risk and must self-isolate immediately and call the PHU COVID-19 Information Line at 1-800-461-1818 or their local public health unit," reads the bulletin.
Typical COVID-19 symptoms are:
- Fever
- New or worsening cough
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of snse of smell or taste
- Difficulty swallowing
- Runny nose or nasal congestion
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
Atypical symptoms are:
- Unexplained fatigue or malaise
- Muscle aches
- Delirium
- Unexplained or increased number of falls
- Acute functional decline
- Exacerbation of current chronic conditions
- Chills
- Headaches
- Croup
- Conjunctivitis
To date in the Porcupine Health Unit region there have been 346 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 319 are recovered and 25 people have died. There are two known active cases.
There are COVID-19 assessment centres in Timmins, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls, Hearst, and Hornepayne.
The Porcupine Health Unit COVID-19 information line can be reached at 705-267-1181 or 1-800-461-1818.
