‘I feel so lucky’: Passengers return from China on last direct flights before Air Canada travel ban

Their faces may have been covered by masks, but the relief in their voices couldn’t be concealed.

Dozens of grateful Canadians returned home from China Thursday night on the last direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai before Air Canada officially suspended service to the regions.

Air Canada made the announcement on Wednesday, saying it was following the federal government’s advisory to avoid non-essential travel to mainland China.

The temporary travel ban will remain in effect until at least Feb. 29, 2020, the airline said in a release.

Veronica Cai, a university graduate who was vising family near Shanghai for Chinese New Year celebrations, said coronavirus fears put a damper on her trip and she was relieved to be back in Toronto.

“The flight was (originally scheduled for) February 3rd. And I changed it today, I had no idea today was our last flight so I feel so lucky,” she told CityNews behind a mask.

“I feel like I’m safe here (in Canada).”

Cai said at least 95 per cent of the people on her flight donned masks.

She added that her 10-day trip was spent almost entirely indoors at her parents’ house due to coronavirus fears.

When she landed at Pearson, she said she was asked several questions about her travel and health history and was handed a coronavirus fact sheet, but seemed surprised that airport officials weren’t doing more.

“When I was in Shanghai … they (take) your temperature … I’m just very surprised that they did not measure (my) temperature. They just asked, ‘do you have fever? ‘ … sometimes you can pretend.”

“I think they have to do more than that,” she said.

Despite the World Health Organization declaring coronavirus a global emergency, airport officials say their procedures remain unchanged.

Passengers face additional screening questions, and those experiencing symptoms are referred to public health staff.

Tracy Li, who returned from Beijing, said she “felt lucky” to be on one of the last direct flights available through Air Canada.

She also said most passengers on her flight wore masks, but for the most part it was an average flight.

“I noticed there is a heat detector at the Beijing Airport … and the people on the plane were calm,” she said.

While Li and Cai were among the lucky ones, several Canadians remain stranded in China.

The federal government says it has received requests for help from 196 Canadians. Officials are working to bring them home, but no timeline has been offered.

Federal health minister, Patty Hadju, said government officials are trying to navigate considerable red tape.

“Because we are flying a non-commercial flight into a new country that is under quarantine and has very strict protocols about where planes can land, and what the protocols might be, and so that requires negotiations with the Chinese government which Global Affairs Canada is conducting right now.”

Chinese officials have maintained they won’t allow anyone who has the virus to leave the country, and Hadju said there’s no indication at this point that any of the Canadians requesting help leaving China are infected with the virus.