Ottawa, Aug 30 (IANS): Two Canadian military members, who recently returned to the country from the Middle East, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Defence Ministry in Ottawa said.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry said the two infected members were aboard a repatriation flight with 35 Canadian Air Force personnel, reports Xinhua news agency.

The flight was part of Operation Impact, which includes the repatriation of up to 850 Canadians deployed in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Kuwait.

"While all Covid-19 health and safety protocols and precautions were observed before, during, and after the flight, there does remain a risk for deployed personnel," the statement added.

The flight stopped overnight at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador province of Canada on August 24, and all the crew and passengers stayed in isolated accommodations on the base.

All the passengers and crew members on the flight were tested for Covid-19 and some personnel working on the base are now in self-isolation.