About 70 passengers on an Air Canada flight from Calgary were delayed on the tarmac at Kamloops Airport as paramedics responded to reports of a passenger on board who had fallen ill.

Airport Managing Director Ed Ratuski says passengers on flight AC8425, which landed about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, were held on the plane for about 20 minutes before being allowed into the terminal.

“What we’re doing whenever we have the opportunity is to remind passengers to check the CDC or Global Affairs websites to make sure they have the most accurate and up to date information when they are travelling,” he told NL News.

“That’s what we do when we’re checking on what the situation is globally, and we just recommend that passengers do the same.”

Another passenger on the flight took to social media to say the sick passenger did not exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms, but noted that authorities were taking precautions, just in case.

Ratuski says its standard protocol to keep passengers on board while a medical assessment is underway, noting that protocol has been in place long before the current concerns regarding the COVID-19 outbreak around the world.

Flight AC8425 was scheduled to arrive into Kamloops at 11:40 a.m., and then depart back to Calgary as flight AC8426 at 12:10 p.m. It left YKA at 2:27 p.m., and arrived back in Calgary at 4:40 p.m. local time.

NL News has reached out to BC EHS for more information on the condition of the sick passenger, and is waiting to hear back.

All passengers are clear of the aircraft and have left the airport. No further issues at this time.

— kamloopsian (@kamloopsian1) March 8, 2020

They are going to unload the first 9 rows of passengers first and may unload the others through the back door they dont want to walk the sick passenger past others

— Kamscan (@Kamscan) March 8, 2020