Charter carrying quarantined cruise passengers lands at CFB Trenton
The charter plane carrying more than 200 Canadian passengers of the Diamond Princess has landed at CFB Trenton in Ontario.
The plane, which touched down just after 2 a.m. EDT, was carrying passengers who had been aboard the cruise ship that was quarantined near Tokyo since Feb. 3 due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
All repatriated passengers had tested negative for the virus. All told, there were 256 Canadians on the Princess Diamond. Global Affairs Canada says 47 of those passengers tested positive for the new coronavirus, and weren’t permitted to board the flight.
The Canadians who landed at CFB Trenton will be screened for the virus again before heading to the Nav Centre in Cornwall, Ont., where they will be quarantined again for 14 days as a precaution.
The Nav Centre is a hotel, conference and community centre. It has previously been used by the federal government as an emergency shelter.
Some Cornwall residents, including Mayor Bernadette Clement, were surprised and expressed concern about hosting the cruise ship passengers at a facility that’s open to the public and not typically used for medical purposes..
Representatives from the Public Health Agency of Canada, which is handling the operation, said no one under quarantine will be in contact with the general public.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) said the section of the Nav Centre that will be used is isolated and has its own ventillation system separate from the rest of the complex.
Health officials said in a press conference Monday that the risk to the general public is low.
