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Health and safety committees were also advised, and a meeting with them is scheduled for Tuesday, Lemay said in the memo.

Passengers on the two flights who were sitting near the virus carrier “will be quickly advised by local public health agencies,” he said.

Air Transat informed airports and subcontractors of the situation. The company “completely disinfected” the two aircraft concerned, according to the memo.

“Be assured that the health of our employees and customers is always our greatest priority,” Lemay said.

Air Transat is monitoring the situation daily via its crisis cell and is applying recommendations from the Public Health Agency of Canada, he said.

New measures to better protect employees and passengers include creating safety reserves of masks, gloves and hand sanitizer; sterilization kits in the event of a contagious passenger; and a change in the procedure to replace air filters. The company has also adjusted its protocol for suspected contagious illness aboard an aircraft.

Twenty-seven cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Canada as of Monday. These include 18 in Ontario, eight in British Columbia and one in Quebec.

ftomesco@postmedia.com