‘Take that fear factor away’

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This article was published 15/08/2021 (1872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a trip to Kelowna to visit aging in-laws was interrupted by COVID-19, Derrick Hebb said he has no qualms with the federal government requiring domestic air travellers to be vaccinated against the disease this fall.

While in British Columbia, a COVID-19 case sent his father-in-law’s personal care home into lockdown and cut short the family’s time together, Hebb said as he waited for his luggage at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport on Saturday.

“It’s unfortunate,” Hebb said. “But what can you do?”

And following the close call with the virus while out of province, and experiencing pandemic-era travel aboard a fully loaded passenger jet, the immunized Winnipeg man said vaccination requirements for air travel make sense.

“Implementing something like that would take that fear factor away to some degree,” Hebb said. “There are so many people who are vulnerable to this disease, the elderly especially, and it doesn’t take much to pass it on.

“On the aircraft there’s no social distancing, when you get off it’s bumper-to-bumper people, plus you’re sitting beside someone you don’t know.”

On Friday, federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that by the end of October, all passengers on commercial flights, interprovincial trains and cruise ships must be vaccinated against COVID-19.

There will be exceptions for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, or due to other protected grounds.

Bonnie Bradley arrived from Calgary on Saturday afternoon to reunite with family in Winnipeg, some of whom are at higher risk from COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, in her first trip since the pandemic started.

“You’re confined to close quarters. Everybody should be vaccinated to board a plane,” Bradley said.

She added that her time in the sky would have been more comfortable with reassurance her fellow passengers were immunized, and less likely to pass on the virus.

“Someone on the plane could not be vaccinated at all, and that increases my risk of getting it even though I’m vaccinated,” Bradley said, adding the idea weighed heavily on her mind. “And it’s not for me, it’s who else am I infecting that’s vulnerable?”

Under current public health orders, all travellers to Manitoba, with some exceptions, must quarantine for two weeks on arrival, unless they have been fully vaccinated for more than two weeks.

According to Manitoba public health, in the past 14 days there have been COVID-19 exposures on seven flights to Winnipeg, including flights from Calgary, Kelowna, Toronto and Vancouver.

In the arrivals hall at the airport, and from behind her N95 mask, Carol Bender applauded the federal government for moving forward with vaccination requirements on domestic air travel.

“I think it’s a great idea and it really should have been done sooner,” Bender said.

While travelling from the United States via Calgary, the Beausejour resident said she voluntarily shared her vaccination status with those in the same row as her as a courtesy.

“If it puts somebody else at ease, I’ll do it,” Bender said.

According to the province, about 1.3 per cent of all confirmed COVID-19 infections in Manitoba — about 750 people — were acquired while travelling.

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca