Jet Blue says it's banned man who flew while awaiting coronavirus test results

JetBlue has banned a passenger from all future flights after discovering he flew from Kennedy Airport to West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday evening without alerting anyone to the fact he was awaiting results of a coronavirus test, the airline said in a statement Friday.

The identity of the passenger has not been released, but the Port Authority said in a statement that he "received notification confirming a positive test of COVID-19" and notified the JetBlue crew of that fact upon landing at Palm Beach International Airport.

The Florida Department of Health said JetBlue Flight 253, which arrived at 8:53 p.m., was held on the tarmac until passengers could be taken off the plane at about 10:45 p.m., and said the man is currently in isolation.

"I personally saw every single person in that airplane," said Dr. Alina Alonso, Palm Beach County's director of health, at a news conference Friday afternoon. "I interviewed and examined the passenger that was ill. He had no symptoms."

Alonso joined several experts and officials from various agencies including law enforcement, government and education in Palm Beach County at the news conference designed to provide updates on the response to COVID-19, including the JetBlue passenger.

"Everybody who is positive is going to be quarantined," Alonso said, adding that officials were particularly concerned about the passengers who sat two rows to the front, back and sides of the passenger who revealed he had tested positive for coronavirus.

She said the passenger who tested positive was sent to his home in Florida where he remains in isolation. She said the passengers who sat near him were told to  watch for any symptoms.

A Palm Beach TV station, WPTV, reported that Alonso said the passenger received a text during the flight confirming he had tested positive for coronavirus, but officials from the Florida Department of Health, JetBlue and the Port Authority could not immediately confirm that scenario Friday.

Several media reports said the passenger is from Long Island, but officials, citing confidentiality, would not confirm that information.

In its statement, the Port Authority said it was alerted to the situation Wednesday night and said JetBlue immediately commenced cleaning of Terminal 5 Gate 7, the departure gate at JFK. Surrounding gates, security checkpoints, check-in counters, kiosks, elevators, restrooms and other public passenger areas in the terminal also were subjected to additional cleaning, based on security footage that tracked the passenger in question.

"This is on top of the enhanced cleaning protocols that have been in place at JFK Airport," the Port Authority said in its statement, adding: "These protocols include at least twice daily sanitization of all common and high-touchpoint areas with EPA-approved and CDC-endorsed antiviral disinfectants, in addition to overnight deep cleaning of all terminal areas."

The Florida Department of Health, in a statement released to Newsday on Friday, said it was "made aware that a passenger traveling through the Palm Beach International Airport tested positive for COVID-19. Upon being notified, the Department immediately began working with the CDC to conduct an extensive epidemiological investigation to determine which passengers may have had close contact with the individual. Any individual who is a close contact with this individual will be informed to self-monitor and will be contacted further by the Palm Beach County Health Department.

"The individual who tested positive is isolated at this time."

Laura Beebe, airports director for Palm Beach County, said during the news conference that the JetBlue aircraft was diverted to a concourse that allowed officials to isolate it while closing it off to the public. Once passenger and crew got off the plane, she said, the terminal was cleaned and disinfected. 

JetBlue said a review of the situation determined "the customer boarded our flight knowing he was awaiting results for a coronavirus test without disclosing it to anyone at JetBlue."

"Consistent with CDC guidance, we ask all customers who are not feeling well, who believe they may have coronavirus, or who are awaiting test results to avoid travel until they are cleared by a medical professional."

The airline said the incident "put our crewmembers, customers, and federal and local officials in an unsettling situation that could have easily been avoided, and as such, this customer will not be permitted to fly on JetBlue in the future."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”