HALIFAX STANFIELD: The Halifax Stanfield International Airport (HSIA) has submitted a proposal to make travellers returning take a COVID19 test before leaving for their quarantine. However, the province’s chief medical officer of health has yet to give it green light.
Tiffany Chase, spokeswoman with Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA), explained that they presented a high-level concept for COVID-19 arrivals PCR – not rapid – testing at Halifax Stanfield to senior level Nova Scotia government personnel in early December 2020. HIAA was then encouraged to submit a detailed proposal for an arrival testing program for review by Dr. Robert Strang and other Nova Scotia government departments and personnel.
“We submitted a 60+ page proposal for this initiative to the Nova Scotia government in late January and participated in a follow-up call with provincial public health and other government officials in February,” she said.
She said the aviation industry has been calling for testing at airports across the country for several months.
“We want to be part of the solution in keeping our communities, passengers and airport workers safe,” said Chase. “A handful of Canadian airports have conducted testing pilot projects over the past few months in cooperation with various levels of government to help contribute to the development of data-driven, science-based approaches to COVID-19 border controls and help instill consumer confidence in air travel.”
Chase said testing passengers arriving at Halifax Stanfield would be an added layer of safety on top of the existing public health protocols.
“It would allow for early detection of COVID-19 cases originating from travel outside Nova Scotia, reducing the likelihood of additional spread of the virus in our communities across the province,” said Chase.
Dr. Robert Strang was asked by The Laker News about if they had received a proposal and the delay in putting it in place at HSIA during the March 2 COVID19 briefing. He confirmed they did receive the proposal.
“We’re looking at that,” said Dr. Strang. “There are a number of components to that proposal that involve a private third party, and some of the associated challenges and costs around that.
“We’re in ongoing discussions directly with the airport around what is feasible and what is actually required at the airport.”
Video edited to The Laker News questions (the airport is the second question) by: Dagley Media.
Chase said their proposal included a detailed analysis of airline schedules, aircraft seating capacity, passenger load factors, and potential testing facility layouts using a simulation tool that helps us predict passenger flow and volume peaks at key points throughout the airport.
“We also took the extra step of modelling required resources to conduct the PCR testing on-site, while maintaining reasonable wait times for arriving passengers,” she said. “The proposal was designed to be self-sufficient leveraging trained, third-party personnel so as not to become an additional burden on our already taxed healthcare system.”
In addition, Chase said, they included a separate program where rapid COVID-19 tests could be conducted on-site for airport campus employees and the general public from nearby communities during times when the airport testing facility is not being used for arriving passengers.
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Dr. Strang did indicate that any airport testing would not remove the need for the 14-day quarantine for any travellers coming to N.S.
“When people talk about airport testing a lot of people are thinking that if we test at the airport that somehow magically, it’s going to allow us to remove or reduce the quarantine period,” he said. “It will not.
“It raises the question of what we’re all grappling with of what actually the value of testing at the airport is. We haven’t reached a decision on testing at the airport. It’s more complex and complicated on first blush then people might imagine.”
Chase said HIAA understands and acknowledges that, and it wasn’t their goal with the proposal they put forward.
“We understand from public health that the addition of airport testing will not result in reducing or removing current quarantine requirements for people arriving in Nova Scotia and that is not our objective with this proposal,” said Chase.
Chase said the health and safety of everyone at their facility is a top priority and they would welcome the addition of testing.
“We continue to have ongoing dialogue with the government on this proposal, but we have no definitive answer on whether or not it will go forward, and if approved, when testing would begin,” she said.
“Our team is fully prepared to react quickly, and support required facility adjustments to accommodate it if approved.”
