Military plane turns around over virus

A Canadian military plane headed to Latvia for a NATO mission was forced to turn around due to fears that troops on board had been exposed to the coronavirus, the Defense Department said.

The decision was made after the Canadian army learned that someone at the Trenton military base in Ontario, where the plane took off Thursday, had tested positive for COVID-19, according to department spokeswoman Jessica Lamirande.

The person in question could have come in contact with the 70 passengers and crew members on the plane, she said.

The soldiers will quarantine for 14 days at the Trenton base, Lamirande added, noting that the incident will not have any major effect on Canada's mission in Latvia.