HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia health officials say passengers on a Halifax-bound flight from Toronto last month may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Air Canada flight AC 626 left Toronto at 8:15 p.m. on June 26 and landed in Halifax at 11:17 p.m.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority says, while anyone on the flight could have been exposed to the virus, passengers in seats A to C in rows 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 are most likely to have been in close contact with the confirmed case of COVID-19.

Anyone exposed to the virus on the flight may develop symptoms up to and including July 10.

The NSHA says passengers should self-monitor for the following signs and symptoms of COVID-19:

  • fever (i.e. chills, sweats)
  • cough or worsening of a previous cough
  • sore throat
  • headache
  • shortness of breath
  • muscle aches
  • sneezing
  • nasal congestion/runny nose
  • hoarse voice
  • diarrhea
  • unusual fatigue
  • loss of sense of smell or taste
  • red, purple or blueish lesions on the feet, toes or fingers without clear cause

Anyone who experiences any COVID-19 symptoms should call 811 for assessment and note that they were on the flight. They are also asked to self-isolate until they receive advice from 811 on next steps.

The advisory comes after a new COVID-19 case was reported on Monday, in a man who had flown from the United States to Toronto and then boarded a flight to Halifax. Premier Stephen McNeil confirmed the man arrived in Nova Scotia on June 26 and was headed for Prince Edward Island.

McNeil said Monday that the man has a student visa to attend school in P.E.I., but he was turned away at the P.E.I. border because he didn’t have the proper paperwork. He ended up back in Nova Scotia, where he failed to self-isolate.

P.E.I. has reported three cases linked to Nova Scotia’s latest case.

Because the man came from the United States, he is now being quarantined under federal authority at a Halifax-area hotel.

Nova Scotia health officials are conducting contact tracing to determine where the man may have been between June 26 and July 4, when they learned about the potential exposure and contacted the man to arrange for testing.

Anyone who travels to Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic region is required to self-isolate for 14 days.

The province is now also requiring all adults who live outside Atlantic Canada to complete a self-declaration form before travelling to Nova Scotia.

The self-declaration form is available online and must be submitted to border@novascotia.ca in advance. Travellers are also urged to keep a copy of the form.

The form asks for information such as province of residency, licence plate number, when and where they will be entering the province, where they will be self-isolating and a phone number where they can be reached at all times.

When arriving in Nova Scotia, travellers must show that they submitted the form and also provide government-issued identification, such as a driver’s licence, or a utility bill or bank statement that shows their permanent home address.

The province says a paper copy of the self-declaration form is also available at entry points to Nova Scotia for people who can’t access the form online.

Officials will make calls every day for 14 days to ensure travellers from outside the Atlantic region are following their self-isolation plan. If they can’t be reached after three attempts in one day, police will conduct an in-person check.

The fine for failing to self-isolate under the Health Protection Order is $1,000 for a first offence.