Hong Kong grounds Air Canada flights from Vancouver due to COVID-19 case

Hong Kong has banned all direct Air Canada flights from Vancouver International Airport for two weeks in October in response to a positive COVID-19 case.

The territory’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) says officials detected nearly 60 imported cases of infection in the first two weeks of this month, including one passenger who was aboard an Oct. 13 Air Canada flight from Vancouver.

It says another passenger failed to comply with disease prevention and control requirements, prompting officials to implement the ban through Oct. 29.

It has forced several flights to be rescheduled and passengers are urged to contact Air Canada for guidance.

Air Canada’s Toronto to Hong Kong flights are not affected.

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“The global situation of COVID-19 infection remains severe and there is a continuous increase in the number of cases involving mutant strains that carry higher transmissibility, and there are also reports of breakthrough infections in some vaccinated individuals. The CHP strongly urges members of the public to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong, in particular to specified places with high risk under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H),” the CHP website reads.

A negative COVID-19 test is required to enter Hong Kong and passengers are encouraged to be vaccinated.

Currently, passengers on flights in Canada do not need to be fully vaccinated unless the destination requires them to be.

But, starting Oct. 30, new travel requirements come into effect which will require anyone 12 years and older who are departing from Canadian airports, or on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains, to be fully vaccinated. There will be a short transition period until Nov. 30 where passengers can show a valid COVID-19 molecular test within 72 hours of travel as an alternative to proof of full vaccination.