Passenger with medical issue on flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg taken to hospital

WestJet passenger becomes ill during flight With the world on high alert from the coronavirus outbreak, a WestJet crew took now chances on a flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg.

Vancouver — A passenger with a medical issue on board a WestJet flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg was taken to hospital upon landing on Thursday.

Tyler McAfee, a spokesperson with the Winnipeg Airport Authority, said a passenger on board the flight had informed the crew that another passenger was having a medical issue.

WestJet flight 448 departed YVR just after 9:30 a.m. PST and landed in Winnipeg just after 3 p.m. local time. Shared Health, the provincial health organization in Manitoba, confirmed to CTV Winnipeg that one person was taken to hospital.

Passengers on board the flight told CTV Winnipeg that shortly after takeoff, a woman went into the bathroom and stayed there for most of the flight. There was an announcement asking if there was a doctor or nurse on board, and paramedics wearing protective gear then boarded the plane once it had landed.

Another person on board told CTV Winnipeg passengers were told crews were being "extra cautious," and a woman was taken off the plane on a stretcher. There was no further explanation from crews about her condition, but passengers were eventually told they were able to leave.

The airline said in an emailed statement that the flight was not quarantined.

"Out of an abundance of caution, our crew notified the appropriate authorities that there was a potential medical issue on board WestJet flight 448 from Vancouver to Winnipeg and followed all proper procedures," WestJet said. "Upon arrival, EMS cleared the flight with the approval of the Public Health Agency of Canada."

The airline said all the passengers were able to get off the plane.

With files from CTV News Winnipeg