A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight had coronavirus and was contagious, officials said
A passenger who flew out of John F. Kennedy International Airport to Rochester, New York, over the weekend had coronavirus and was contagious, the Monroe County Health Department tweeted Wednesday night.
The Delta Air Lines flight left JFK at 4:05 p.m. on Saturday and landed in Rochester at 5:55 p.m., according to the tweet.
“This evening, we learned about an individual who tested positive for Covid-19. We believe this individual was contagious while en route from JFK to ROC on Delta 4824 on March 14,” the department tweeted.
The Health Department encouraged anybody who was on that flight and anybody who was in the Greater Rochester International Airport between 5:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. that day to monitor for symptoms and call their doctor if symptoms occur.
“With regard to reports of any Covid-19 exposure, we continue to follow all guidelines from the CDC and local health officials,” Delta said in a statement to CNN. “The safety and health of our customers and crew remain our top priority.”
On Monday, another Delta flight was held when a passenger learned just before takeoff that they had been exposed to the virus. The passenger did not show any symptoms but deplaned out of an abundance of caution, a person involved with airport operations told CNN.
The plane was cleaned before passengers were allowed to board again and continue on to their destination.
JetBlue banned a passenger last week after he flew from JFK to West Palm Beach without notifying the crew that he was awaiting results of a coronavirus test, the airline said. He told the crew upon arrival that he had been notified that the test was positive.
“(The) event put our crewmembers, customers, and federal and local officials in an unsettling situation that could have easily been avoided, and as such, this customer will not be permitted to fly on JetBlue in the future,” the airline said in a statement at the time.
