CALGARY -- Approximately one per cent of the nearly 24,000 people who have enrolled in the province's quick testing travel program have tested positive for COVID-19, Alberta Health announced Friday.

The data, updated for the first time in nearly a month, indicated that 1.51 per cent of the people who were first tested for COVID-19 upon arrival in Canada, had the illness.

Travellers who committed themselves to a second test, conducted six or seven days after the first, resulted in another 0.75 per cent of people testing positive.

The two tests were conducted on 23,956 people and had a positive test rate of 1.14 per cent.

The province says the testing pilot is for the benefit of Alberta's recovery.

"Safely exploring ways to resume travel is an important step in Alberta’s economic recovery," a statement on the official website reads. "The pilot program will help us collect critical information that will ensure changes to public health measures are informed by strong scientific evidence. Strong measures will be kept in place to limit the spread of COVID-19."

There are no further details on when the pilot will be expanded to Edmonton International Airport.

23 INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TO CALGARY HAD COVID-19 CASES

Since Jan. 1, government data indicates there were 23 flights that landed in Calgary that had at least one guest who was found to have contracted the disease.

The statistics are shared in order to alert any possible passengers in adjacent rows that they could be a close contact of the active cases of COVID-19.

WestJet operated 15 of the affected flights, the report shows:

  • Jan. 3 – Delta flight DL4051, from Minneapolis (MSP) to Calgary, unknown rows affected;
  • Jan. 3 – Delta/WestJet flight DL4051/WS6308, from Minneapolis (MSP) to Calgary, rows 13 to 20;
  • Jan. 3 – WestJet flight WS1511, from Los Angeles (LAX) to Calgary, rows 13 to 19;
  • Jan. 3 – WestJet flight WS2313, from Cancun (CUN) to Calgary, rows 23 to 29;
  • Jan. 3 – WestJet flight WS1403, from Phoenix (PHX) to Calgary, rows 6 to 12 and 23 to 30;
  • Jan. 3 – WestJet flight WS2247, from Puerto Vallarta (PVR) to Calgary, rows 4 to 10;
  • Jan. 2 – Air Canada flight AC987, from Cancun (CUN) to Calgary, rows 12 to 15 and 21 to 27;
  • Jan. 2 – American Airlines flight AA3505, from Dallas (DFW) to Calgary, rows 12 to 18;
  • Jan. 2 – American Airlines flight AA3839, from Dallas (DFW) to Calgary, rows 10 to 16;
  • Jan. 2 – Delta/WestJet flight DL4051/WS6308, from Minneapolis (MSP) to Calgary, rows 12 to 18;
  • Jan. 2 – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL679, from Amsterdam (AMS) to Calgary, unknown rows affected;
  • Jan. 2 – WestJet flight WS2289, from Los Cabos (SJD) to Calgary, rows 1 to 7 and 19 to 31;
  • Jan. 2 – WestJet flight WS1417, from Orlando (MCO) to Calgary, rows 8 to 14 and 23 to 29;
  • Jan. 2 – WestJet flight WS1403, from Phoenix (PHX) to Calgary, unknown rows affected;
  • Jan. 2 – WestJet flight WS1469, from Palm Springs (PSP) to Calgary, rows 2 to 8, 13 to 19 and 25 to 29;
  • Jan. 2 – WestJet flight WS2311, from Cancun (CUN) to Calgary, rows 19 to 25;
  • Jan. 1 – American Airlines flight AA5986, from Phoenix (PHX) to Calgary, rows 1 to 6;
  • Jan. 1 – American Airlines flight AA3505, from Dallas (DFW) to Calgary, unknown rows affected;
  • Jan. 1 – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL677, from Amsterdam (AMS) to Calgary, rows 19 to 25;
  • Jan. 1 – WestJet flight WS1403, from Phoenix (PHX) to Calgary, rows 7 to 13;
  • Jan. 1 – WestJet flight WS2289, from Los Cabos (SJD) to Calgary, rows 17 to 23;
  • Jan. 1 – WestJet flight WS2311, from Cancun (CUN) to Calgary, unknown rows affected and;
  • Jan. 1 – WestJet flight WS1511, from Los Angeles (LAX) to Calgary, rows 24 to 30.