With the territory approaching the two-year mark for its public health emergency, Nunavut chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson noted Nunavut was the last jurisdiction in Canada to get Covid-19. This, he said, was due to the public health measures and various precautions the territorial government took, giving Nunavummiut a head-start in getting vaccinated and protected.
“Now more than ever our actions and collaboration are the best way to reduce the risk and lower case counts. Please continue to follow public health measures and stay home and isolate when you are sick and please get vaccinated,” said Patterson.
In Iqaluit’s Aaqqigiarvik Correctional Healing Facility there have now been 49 cases of Covid-19 confirmed and seven recoveries, said Justice Minister David Akeeagok. Aaqqigiarvik is the only jail in Nunavut where there have been cases in this current outbreak.
There was a potential exposure at Iqaluit’s Inuksuk High School in two cohorts of the same age group, which was identified over the weekend, but no transmission has taken place as of Tuesday evening, said Patterson.
Potential contacts are staying home for the week. The risk of transmission in schools will continue to remain lower in comparison to other common settings, he adds.
“The evidence across the country is that schools are a smaller portion of the risk when you compare it to the exposure that happens at home, social settings, outside of the school.”
Capacity limits in schools in Rankin Inlet and Arviat have been moved up to 100 per cent capacity due to a downward trend in cases in those communities.
As of Feb. 3 there are 442 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Nunavut. There have been 775 recovered cases in this outbreak thus far. Thirteen Nunavummiut have been hospitalized up to this point.
There are active confirmed cases of Covid-19 in 18 communities.
Kugluktuk: 4
Cambridge Bay: 33
Taloyoak: 36
Gjoa Haven: 1
Baker Lake: 44
Rankin Inlet: 29
Arviat: 19
Whale Cove: 5
Chesterfield Inlet: 2
Coral Harbour: 23
Sanirajak: 9
Sanikiluaq: 21
Pond Inlet: 13
Iglulik: 87
Qikiqtarjuaq: 5
Pangnirtung: 8
Kinngait: 14
Iqaluit: 89