Article content

Customs and immigration officers — the first line of defence against the spread of coronavirus by ill travellers — say more Health Canada nurses are required at Canada’s major airports.

They also want quarantine officers on standby at airports.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Coronavirus: We need more nurses and quarantine officers at Canadian airports, border workers' union says Back to video

“Our officers aren’t doctors or nurses and that’s why they need guidance, they need support,” said Jean-Pierre Fortin, president of the Customs and Immigration Union, which represents 11,000 workers.

“If it’s obvious — if someone is sweating or coughing or looks sick — then our officers will immediately refer that person to the nurse, but (it’s not always obvious) and we don’t have enough nurses on-site to do the job.”

Bringing in more nurses could reduce the chances of missing sick passengers.

Contacted Friday, Health Canada said it would be unable to answer questions about nurses and quarantine officers at airports until next week.

COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by a coronavirus first reported in China, has spread to more than 50 countries, largely by travellers.