Based on coverage from CBC, Global News, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, and CP24.
More Canadians are getting a call from public health after sharing a flight with a confirmed hantavirus case tied to the deadly MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak.
Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer, said Thursday that local public health units are trying to reach 26 people who were on the same plane as the infected traveller. They are considered “low risk” because there’s no evidence they sat near the case or had direct, prolonged contact. Reimer said she does not know which provinces they live in.
The number of Canadians being followed in connection with the outbreak is now at least 36, including nine people considered high risk. Federal officials say the overall risk to the general public remains low.
Canada hantavirus contacts rise to 36
Reimer said public health is working to make sure all 26 flight contacts know what symptoms to watch for and will be monitored during the “at-risk period.” The flight-related contacts were flagged to Canada by European public health authorities.
Canada is taking a more cautious approach than Europe. Reimer said European authorities categorized this group as “no risk,” but Canadian officials are treating them as “minimal” or low risk and are still following up.
Alongside those 26, the federal total includes one person who was previously considered high risk but has since been reassessed to low risk and is no longer isolating. Federal officials put the current low-risk total at 27.
High-risk cruise ship exposure and isolation rules
Federal health officials define high-risk contacts as people who were on the MV Hondius or who had direct, prolonged contact with a confirmed or suspected case. Reimer said nine people in Canada are classified as high risk and have been directed to self-isolate. Officials also said all of those high-risk individuals are currently asymptomatic.
Reimer also spoke about four passengers who returned to British Columbia from the MV Hondius on May 10, saying they remain asymptomatic while monitoring continues.
The outbreak linked to the ship has been deadly. Reporting cited by Canadian officials says it has killed a Dutch couple and a German national. The World Health Organization said Tuesday there are 11 cases globally connected to the cruise ship outbreak: nine confirmed and two probable, with three deaths.
Ontario and Quebec give different guidance
Even when Ottawa calls someone “low risk,” provinces can take their own approach.
Ontario’s Ministry of Health said Tuesday that seven low-risk residents have been told to self-isolate for 45 days. Separate reporting also describes Ontario’s situation differently, saying 10 people are isolating in total: seven considered low risk and three considered high risk, including a couple in Grey-Bruce and a visitor to Peel.
Quebec has taken a lighter touch for a different group. Quebec officials said eight residents who were on a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25 are being asked to self-monitor for symptoms rather than self-isolate. Quebec’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Caroline Quach, said their contact with the confirmed case was “really minimal.” She said they should track their temperature and symptoms and contact local public health if they feel unwell. Quach also described the confirmed case as a Dutch woman who was only temporarily on the flight before being removed because she wasn’t feeling well.
Testing policy for asymptomatic Canadians
Even though some other countries are testing people connected to the ship, Reimer said Canada is not currently testing asymptomatic high- or low-risk contacts.
Her reasoning is practical: officials say there’s no evidence the virus spreads from asymptomatic people, and a negative test could give someone false reassurance and make them less careful about isolation. Reimer said testing for asymptomatic people could be offered later if guidance from international partners and Canadian experts suggests the benefits outweigh the risks. She also noted the incubation period can be as long as eight weeks.
Transport Canada restricts MV Hondius travellers
Transport Canada is also stepping in on the travel side.
Mario Boily, executive director of Aviation Security Program Development at Transport Canada, said “temporary measures” will stop passengers and crew from the Dutch cruise ship from boarding commercial flights to Canada during a 42-day isolation period. Boily said those measures are set to expire June 17.
For most Canadians, the message from federal health officials stays the same: the system is tracking contacts, provinces may add extra precautions, and broader community spread in Canada is not expected based on what’s known right now.
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