British Columbia's provincial health officer is "concerned" about recent announcements by WestJet and Air Canada that they will remove physical distancing requirements for passengers onboard aircraft.
Dr. Bonnie Henry responded to questions about the move during Monday's provincial COVID-19 briefing, saying the issue is out of her hands, given airlines are the jurisdiction of Transport Canada.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says he's expecting to see a very clear explanation from federal government outlining their stance on the airlines' decision to remove spacing measures from July 1.
"What I'd like to hear from Transport Canada, and what I'd like to hear from Health Canada, is 'do they agree with this?' Because it is absolutely within their jurisdiction to deal with. So if what they are saying is (that) what Air Canada and WestJet are doing is acceptable, they need to be explicit and they need to explain why it is."
Continuing to guard against the spread of COVID-19 is the most important summer memory we could create, says Dix.
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