JetBlue passenger with coronavirus took flight to Palm Beach airport, reports say
A man who tested positive for COVID-19 flew to Palm Beach International Airport aboard a JetBlue flight late Wednesday night, according to multiple reports.
Palm Beach Fire Rescue confirmed the man’s condition to the Palm Beach Post and local TV stations CBS12, WPTV and Fox 29.
The flight came from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and had a total of 114 people on board, including crew, said Palm Beach airport spokeswoman Lacy Larson. Fire-rescue responded to a medical call at the airport around 8:40 p.m.
Fire-rescue says health officials followed all guidelines “for a COVID-19 positive patient” during the incident and spoke with all the passengers aboard the flight, according to the Palm Beach Post. Passengers who sat near the man “were advised of monitoring procedures” while others were allowed to go home.
Passenger Scott Rodman told Fox 29 he sat across from the man, who was wearing gloves and a mask, during the flight. At some point, the man was taken to the back of the plane.
“His wife was sitting in the same row as me and mentioned to others that he wasn’t feeling well,” Rodman told Fox 29. “She said he had gotten a phone call with his test results right before we had taken off, implying that he had a positive test but not actually saying it.”
Dr. Alina Alonso, the health director in Palm Beach County, later confirmed the situation to passengers at the airport. She said the man received a text notifying him he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to WPTV.
“He has not been coughing or sneezing or anything on the plane. ... At this point, you’re free to walk around and move around because, most likely, you’re not going to have anything because there was no activity. The way you get this virus is somebody has to cough or sneeze on you,” she told the passengers, according to WPTV.
It’s still unclear if the man lives in South Florida, why he was allowed to fly or how officials notified about the man being on board.
Palm Beach Fire Rescue and Palm Beach’s Department of Health have not responded to the Miami Herald’s questions about the incident.
Palm Beach International Airport spokeswoman Lacy Larson says the plane was taken to Concourse A instead of JetBlue’s main terminal for passengers to disembark. The area is closed for sanitation but the rest of the airport is operating as normal, she said.
The airport is also reminding passengers to wash their hands frequently and stay home if they feel sick.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 8:59 AM.
